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FISHING IN NORTH AMERICA.

SHOOTING AND FISHING

IN THE

RIVEES, PRAIRIES, AND BACKWOODS

OF

NORTH AMERICA.

BENEDICT HENRY EEVOIL,

(editor of the "journal de chasseurs").

TRANSLATED AND REVISED

THE CHRONICLER.

IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.

LONDON :
TINSLEY BROTHERS, 18, CATHERINE ST., STRAND,

1865.

tONDON :
BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.

^

^

TABLE OP CONTENTS.

^

PAGE
I. — THE NORTH AMERICAN FISHERIES .... 1

II. — LINE-FISHING

III. — THE FISHING-EAGLE OF SARATOGA SPRINGS . . 34

IV. — THE MILK PONB OYSTERS 63

^ V. — TORCH-FISHING 72

VI. — A STORY OF SIX SHARKS 93

Q VII.— THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES .... 109

lyfVni. — THE WILD BOARS OF THE OCEAN . . . . 129

■ IX. — THE GIANTS OF LABRADOR 144

X. — THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC . . . . 162

XI. — SALMON LAKE 178

XII.— THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND . . . . 191
6ft Xni.— THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS . . . .220

VI CONTENTS.

PAGE
XIV.— THE GREAT SEA SERPENT 238

XV. — ANGEL OE DEVIL FISH 255

XVI.— THE BLIND GUDGEONS OF THE MAMMOTH CAVES OF
KENTUCKY .

XVII.— THE ALLIGATORS OF LOUISIANA AND TEXAS , . 267

SPOET IN NOETH AMEEICA.

INTKODUCTOEY.

I.— THE NORTH AMERICAN FISHERIES.

I OFFER to my readers the cloak of Meplnstopheles,
and invite them to accompany me to the shores of
North Americaj between the twenty-first and the
fiftieth degrees of north latitude. Let them not be
dismayed at the length of the journey ; we shall
have arrived at our destination in less time than it
will take to read this first chapter. In these days
of steam and electricity we travel quickly.

Good-bye, France ! Welcome America ! Land
of the zealous sportsman^ and above all, of the
fisherman : land of great hunting and great fishing !
Everything is on a large scale in that country, even
the institutions, which seem however to have broken
down of late, through a fatal neglect of the precepts
of the immortal Washington. Lakes and rivers,
forests, mountains, deserts, and even streams, all

2 SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

inspire respect, as the grandiose and magnificent
never fail to do.

In my former volume I have mentioned the prin-
cipal fauna, the methods of hunting the larger
animals, and some of the more remarkable birds
of the country ; in the present one, I propose to
describe the various modes of fishing practised on
the rivers, and tlie innumerable bays on the shores
of the Atlantic. The only merit of these pages will
be their exactness. I am no fisherman in the
strictest sense of the word ; and that is tantamount
to an admission that I have no patience. Moreover,
the art of fishing is a special gift, like that of fenc-
ing. Still, as a sportsman, I have killed fish with
line, net, spear, and even with the gun, and in the
course of my rambles through North America, I
have taken great pleasure in listening to narra-
tions of fishing feats, and have felt a desire to share
in them. You must have taken part in such feats
to understand the eccentric pleasure which they
afford.

The quantity of fish which frequents the American
coast is unlimited, and so is the liberty of fishing.
There can be no poaching in America, for no one is
denied the right of sporting. The only restriction is
the custom, which is imposed by the laws of repro-
duction, to abstain during the breeding season. This
custom is generally respected, and everybody of his
own accord lays by his arms and weapons of destruc-

THE NOKTH AMERICAN FISHERIES. 3

tion, and waits patiently for tlie days consecrated to
the reopening of the shooting and fishing season.
I do not mean, of course, to assert that some will
not be found who offend against this custom, but
their number is small, and so great are the supplies
of game of all sorts, four-footed, winged, and finny,
that happily these effect but little mischief.

North America is a land of promise to the fisher-
man. It abounds in fish of all sorts, and of many
which are unknown in Europe. My readers shall
judge for themselves.

In the first place, there is the drumming fish
{Pogonias chromis), so called from the noise which he
makes in swimming, a noise which resembles that
of drum-sticks beating on a drum. In calm weather
and in the afternoon, you may hear this drumming
at a distance of two hundred yards. The drum-
ming fish is found near the coasts of the two Caro-
linas and Florida, and even in the Hudson, near
New York. It is only during the season of repro-
duction that the fish indulges its musical propensi-
ties. The rest of the year it is silent, and some
have pretended that the sound is an amorous indi-
cation. * The drum fish is usually of large size ;
weighing from thirty-five to ninety pounds, and he

* Sir John Richardson sought to explain the drumming by suggesting
that the fish heat themselves against the bottoms of ships, to rid them-
selves of certain parasitic thread-worms which he found them constantly
infested with. — Tkans.

b2

4 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA.

measures from a yard to a yard and a half long.
The two sides of this eccentric fish are marked with
broad black stripes, arranged in transverse lines
alternating with ribands of gold and silver scales.

Some Charleston planters assured me that in one
season they caught 12,000 drumming fish, which
they salted and distributed among the poor of the
country.

The devil or angel fish is another inhabitant of
the American waters, and should have a chapter to
himself.

The basse is one of the most succulent fish known.
He varies in size from twenty to thirty inches in
length, and his colour is iridescent from head to tail.
He is a kind of sea perch, of an admirable form, and
extremely active. Moreover, he is the most ravenous
fish of that kind known.

Then, the musician fish. The Sire7is of the
ancients are not mythical, after all. I myself have
touched and even eaten (in spite of tlie warning
representations of a black) one of these harmonious
mullets, and suffered no inconvenience from it.

One day, as I was returning to Talahassee from a
hunting excursion in Florida, we were rowing along
by the shore about sunset, when suddenly a strange,
grave, and prolonged sound struck my ears. At
first I thought it must be a drone, or fly of extra-
ordinary magnitude ; but, seeing nothing, I ques-
tioned ray guide as to what it could be.

THE NOKTH AMERICAN FISHERIES. 5

"Oil! raassa/^ replied he, "dat is de fish- what
sings. Some call it Syren or mermaid fish, and
others musico." A little way on, we heard a greater
chorus of these strange voices, reminding me faintly
of the music of church organs.

I stopped the canoe, the better to study this
phenomenon ; when, at my request, my sable oars-
man threw a net into the water, and soon laid at
the bottom of the boat about a score of little fish,
each about ten inches long, resembling the grey
mullet very closely in outward form. '^Dese be mer-
maids, massa," said the negro ; " but in de name of
hebben, don't eat dem."

"Why not?" quoth I.

" Because they hab de lub poison."

" Lub poison ! And pray, what's that ? "

" Yes, massa ; when you eat one of dese fish, you
fall so deep in lub, you can nebber get out again."

1 tried to laugh my black friend out of his notion,
but in vain. In spite of what he said, however, I
had my musicos fried that evening, and found,
as I expected, that I was none the worse for the
experiment.

The musician fish is Avhite, with a few blue spots
near the belly. It is about sun-set when these
fish begin to sing, and they continue their music
during the night, imitating the grave and sonorous
droning of an organ, just as it reaches your ear when
3-ou stand outside a church. The presence of a

6 SPORT IN NOETH AMEEICA.

numerous audience does not seem to intimidate these
little performers. Is it not strange ? Is it not
almost incredible ? And yet nothing can be more
true. The fact to which I here bear witness has
been recorded in the Annals of the Academy of
Sciences.

Another fish of which little is known is the
squirting fish, which is found in Texas, and which
can direct a drop of water upon its insect prey so as
to bring it down into the water, where it falls an
easy victim. This was how this curious fisji was first
discovered. A hunter was sleeping on the shore,
when he was awakened by large drops of water falling
upon his naked breast. On looking around, he
found to his astonishment that the sky was clear and
not a sign of rain. Whilst searching about for the
cause of the phenomenon, he received a fresh dis-
charge of water. Some flies were buzzing about him,
and one of them alighted on his breast, just at the
moment, he received a third jet. The Texan then
began to examine minutely some curious little fish,
of strange form and colour, which were swimming
about quite close to the shore. They were about
the size of large bleak, and when several of them
raised their heads out of the water he received a
fresh volley of drops. There could be no longer any
doubt about the fact, the water had been squirted at
him by the fish. The hunter being also a fisherman
and his hut not very far off, he soon obtained a net

THE NORTH AMERICAIT FISHERIES. 7

and cauglit a few of this strange fish. Placing
them in a vessel of water he set over it a stick
covered with treacle. The flies were soon attracted
to perch upon this, and then each fish raising his
head above the water discharged a drop of water at
his fly with the most marvellous address, bringing
them down into the vessel, Avhere they soon fell
victims to the squirting fish. The Texan hunter
communicated his discovery to a naturalist at New
Orleans, who verified the experiment, and the species
was accepted as a novelty. This fish is, with good
reason, accounted to be one of the best of the
Mexican Gulf, and is now to be found all along the
coasts of the Torrid Zone, in the waters of the South
Atlantic, and also in the Pacific.

It is not only on the coasts of America that the
fisheries are productive, but also in all the great
lakes and rivers of North America. I take a plea-
sure in recalling to memory the happy days I spent
on the banks of the Mississippi, the Hudson, the
Ohio, and the St. Lawrence, not to mention the
many great tributaries of those mighty streams. The
very recollection of them restores their old elasticity
to my limbs, vigour to my muscles, vivacity to my
mind, and life to my heart. How lovely was the
forest whose branchy summits shaded my head !
How clear the blue skies of that land on which
Nature has lavished all her treasures ! How har-
monious were the notes of the mocking-bird and the

8 SPOIIT m NORTH AMERICA.

song-tlirush ! How ripe the fruits which I could
gather everywhere around ! Alas ! the dream is
vanished, and the reality finds me at Paris, seated
before my old oak table inditing this preface of a
dream — a dream which was the truth twelve years
ago.

Among the fresh-water fish which abound in the
great rivers of America, I would mention the cat
fish, which weighs from one to one hundred pounds
— a glutton by nature, and by no means nice iu its
choice of dainties. Like the vulture, he will content
himself with garbage, when he can get nothing
better; but the best bait to catch him with is certainly
the toad. Those who go out to fish for him alwaj^s
lay in, therefore, a good stock of toads, and by bait-
ing them upon snoods fixed upon a trot-line of a
hundred and twenty to two hundred yards long, they
catch quantities of this fish. The toad impaled upon
the hook jumps about in the water and forms a most
attractive bait for these water-gluttons. The trot-
line is laid in the morning and taken up in the
middle of the day, and again at night ; so that often
the take is very considerable.

There are several species of cat fish in the North
American rivers ; above all, the Blue, the White, and
one the colour of mud. These differ as much in
their habits as in their colour. The flesh of the last-
named is the best, but it rarely attains the size of
the others. The blue fish is the biggest, and when

THE NORTH AMERICAN FISPIERIES. y

it is not larger than from four to six pounds it is not
bad eating. The white is better and not so common.
Cat fish are often taken up to a hundred and twenty
pounds weight ; but such fish are unusual.

The shape of the cat fish is that of a cone. Its
head is disproportionately large^ and tapers down to
the tail. Desinit in piscem. The eyes, which are
small and very wide apart^ are placed in the front of
the head. The jaws are very wide, and furnished
with a formidable array of sharp teeth, and are
moreover defended by tusks which, when the fish is
in the agonies of death, are elevated at right angles,
and cannot be depressed. The cat fish has also long
cirri or barbels of proportionate length, which aid it
in finding its way about along the bottom of the
water, whilst its eyes keep a look out for what is
going on overhead.

. I remember, one evening, on the banks of the
Hudson, near Hastings, having laid a trot-line, I
determined to remain until midnight with two
friends to ascertain the results of our fishing. Every
now and then I tried the line to ascertain whether
anything was on, and about ten o'clock it seemed to
me that the resistance had greatly increased. I was
not mistaken ; for drawing the line carefully ashore
I found on it an enormous cat fish of twenty-three
pounds weight. It was quite a monster, and on
opening it I found not only the toad which had
served for bait, but a handsome white perch, which

10 SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

it had swallowed just before the batrachian, for it
was as fresh as if it had just been taken from the
Hudson. We ate the perch and divided the cat fish,
which made capital stews.

The white perch * which I have just mentioned, is
one of the best fishes of the North American rivers
and lakes. To fish for it is one of the favourite
sports of the urban anglers, who go to celebrate their
Sundays far away from the towns, to escape from the
dilemma of being forced to go to church or be
pointed at by the finger of scorn. On fine Sundays,
the banks of the Hudson, about ten miles from New
York, are lined with anglers come to enjoy the plea-
sures of a day's perch-fishing.

Watch them carefully. There is not a breath of
air to cause a ripple on the stream ; the air is clear,
and the water is troubled neither by waves nor by
fish-frightening steamboat. Every fisherman has
with him a basket containing some crabs or cray
fish, the favourite bait for " the grumblers." The

* This fish is called by some fishermen the "grumbler," from the
noise which it makes in water under the bottom of a boat, — a kind of
hoarse murmur, which sounds like a growl. This grumbling pecu-
liarity is very odd. If you make the slightest noise against the bottom
of the boat, as by tapping, it ceases immediately ; but as soon as all is
quiet again, it recommences. It is only heard, moreover, when the
Aveather is fine. The white perch is from fifteen to twenty inches
long ; but I have seen them occasionally much larger, up to four and
even six pounds. Six weeks after they return to the rivers, their
flesh acquires a dazzling whiteness ; but during the summer heats the
fish grows thin, and loses its decided sea-water flavour.

THE NORTH AMERICAN FISHERIES. 11

crustacean is impaled by thrusting the hook through
him, from a point above the tail up to his head, so
as to leave his claws at liberty. The line is then
thrown into the water, and when it has reached the
bottom, it is gently drawn onwards by the current,
and soon follows the direction of the stream. As
soon as a fish bites, the fisherman strikes and draws
the line in, and in a twinkling the fish is pulled
from his native element and lies panting on the
sandy shore. What a lovelj fish ! What silvery
scales, variegated with a greenish iridescence ! What
brilliant eyes ! This kind of fishing is one which
you may soon take a fancy to, and in a couple of
hours the fortunate fisherman may catch a hundred
weight offish.

I have mentioned the cray fish, and they deserve
a more special description. There are two sorts in
the United States; one resembling the European
species, and the other a variety which is peculiar to
North America. The latter is called the gri-gri, a
familiar name bestowed upon it by the negroes of
the South, The gri-gri is larger than the fresh-
Avater cray fish ; it frequents the land more than the
water, and usually digs a hole for itself in the damp
soil. It is like an ogre who digs a grave to live in
himself, and waits there for the corpse which is to
furnish him with a dinner. And this is no figure of
speech; it is really the case. The gri-gri digs its
hole more or less deep, according to the character

1$ SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

of the soil. It remains in its domicile all day, often
exposed to the I'ays of the sun ; but as soon as night
comesj it salHes out " seeking whom it may devour.^^
If the soil be firm, the hole is only a few inches
deep; but if soft, it will sometimes be from two to
three feet. It is then no longer a hole but a burrow,
and to draw the fjrt-grl from thence a string is
required, with a morsel of carrion at the end of it —
when this is dropped in, it is the corpse which was
waited for. Crack ! The gr'i-gri pounces on its
prey, but is forthwith drawn out gently and pouched
by the fisherman without further ceremony.

The cleverest gr'i-gri fisher is the white ibis of
Texas and Louisiana. It advances very quietly,
demolishes the heap of dirt around the habitation of
the grl-p'i, and fills up the cavity with the rubbish.
He then retires softly, and waits patiently until the
gri-gri comes forth to repair the mischief; where-
upon, Master Ibis seizes him in his beak and bolts
him in a twinkling. Which is the more ingenious,
— man or the ibis ? Before quitting the subject, I
would testify that the flesh of the gri-gri is deli-
cious, and resembles somewhat that of the European
crawfish;* but alas! they are mostly to be found

* To tlie English, -n'lio usually prefer the lobster to the crawfish
{Paliimrus vulgaris), ;fhis may seem no very high compliment ; but
many French epicures give the palm to the latter crustacean, which
they call la langouste. Those who have eaten the delicate and fla-
vourous crawfish of the Bay of Biscay, will not be disposed to differ
very widely from this judgment. — Teaks.

THE NORT[t AMERIGAlN FISHEKIES. 13

in the neighbourhood of flirty drains and ceme-
teries.

I must not forget the American lobster, which
abounds in such quantities that it is a considerable
article of food, not only with the wealthy, but even
with the poor. An enormous lobster may be had at
from eightpence to tenpence — sometimes almost for
nothing. Both lobster and crab are delicious ; the
latter, especially at the time when it changes its cara-
pace, is one of the daintiest dishes possible. The
Americans fry them in this state, and eat them entire,
claws and all, and they are as tender as possible.

The province of New Brunswick has the credit
of being the \nos,t fishy district in all North America.
Probably it is the vast variety of the sea- weeds which
grow upon its coasts, and of the river-plants that
line the beds of its fresh-water streams, that tempts
the scaly tribe to that country so beloved of all
fishermen. Here are found salmon, sturgeon, basse
[Perca labrax) — a fish which is much prized by
epicures, — caplin, shad, trout, eels, gudgeon, white-
bait, carp, tench, &c., with other varieties not even
known to Audubon or Wilson.

Salmon-fishing, as practised by the Red Skins of
New Brunwick, is a delightful pastime. As soon as
the fish make their appearance in the waters of the
Nashwack, the waters of the river are ploughed
nightly by numerous canoes, each carrying in the
prow a lighted torch of pine Avood. Two Indians

14 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

are in eacli canoe, one paddling, and the other hold-
ing a harpoon in his hand. The torch sheds a
bright light ahead, and with attentive eje the har-
pooner watches the favourable moment when the
fishj attracted by the flame, shows its back above
the surface of the water. At that moment he is
transfixed. The cord which holds the harpoon is
uncoiled, and the canoe is sometimes dragged along
the rapids. What matters it ? The E.ed Skins are
marvellously dexterous, and despise all kinds of
danger-. What they propose to themselves to do,
they mostly accomplish, and the fish seldom fails to
be shared between the two partners.

The sturgeons of New Brunswick are of monstrous
size, often attaining to a length of ten or twelve
feet. It is interesting to see them leaping and
plunging over the rapids, mounting from one level
to another. There is a tradition that one morning
a sturgeon, leaping in this way, jumped into the
bark canoe of an Indian squaw, who was known
among her familiars as "Molly Greenbaize." The
good woman, without losing her presence of mind,
threw herself on the fish, lying over him at full
length, and by paddling with her hands over the
side of the frail skifi", managed to get both it and
the fish safely to shore.

Trout are very abundant in the United States, in
all the rivers, in the clear waters of the lakes, and
the deep holes of the streams. The urban sports-

THE NORTH AMERICAN FISHERIES. 15

men there who are familiar with Isaac Walton, and
who can put his precepts into practice, use rod and
line, and artificial flies. The Indians employ more
primitive means, which succeed quite as well, if not
indeed better than those which have been invented
by civihzation. In winter, when it freezes, they cut
a hole in the ice, sweep it clear of the debris, and
drop a bait into the hole, which the trout rise at
greedily. The best kind of trout known is that of
the river Redhead, and the peculiar flavour of this
fish is attributed to the sea-water which mingles
with it to a considerable distance above the mouth
during the high tides. Among the other localities
most sought after is Loch Lomond, beneath the
Bald Mountains, and the river Masquash, in the
same neighbourhood.

The basse mounts the great rivers from the sea,
especially during the winter, preferring the quiet of
the lakes and rivers to the troubles of a life in the
Atlantic. He stays in the fresh water until spring,
and there " makes his fat." Basse have been taken
in the rivers of New Brunswick up to thirty or
forty pounds weight, but the ordinary weight is
from one to six pounds. In the Eichibucto and the
Gemseg, minor rivers in the same state, basse are
fished for sometimes by the line in the way of
bottom-fishing, and sometimes by large nets set
under the ice, and drawn up every now and then.
Net fishing is very destructive, and in illustration

16 SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

of this, I will narrate an anecdote which will bring
this chapter to a conclusion.

I am about to introduce to my readers an historic
individual, whose career, however, is very little known
on this side of the Ocean. This individual is a
woman, still young, although eighteen years have
elapsed since the incident took place which I am
about to relate.

About the middle of the year 1843, there arrived
in Washington, from Europe, an admirable creature,
aged seventeen, beautiful as Venus, whose charms
indeed she seemed to have borrowed. She had lovely
blue eyes and golden hair. One might have taken
her for one of Titian's beauties, or for one of those
charming goddesses or nymphs which adorn the
canvas of Rubens.

A descendant of Amerigo Vespucci, who had
the honour of bestowing his name upon the two
Americas, the beautiful America Vespucci had
come, an orphan and penniless, to claim from Con-
gress a pension which would enable her to restore
the position of her house and revive the historic fame
of her ancestors.

Unfortunately for America, the Yankees have
little taste for giving away anything. The Italian
beauty lost her cause with the representatives of the
" free people," but she was more fortunate with an
English Crcesus, who offered her his heart, and the
shelter of a seignorial domain on the banks of Lake

THE NORTH AMERICAN FISHERIES. 17

Ontario, not far from Rocliester. At seventeen years
of age flesh is weak, above all when the tempter is a
handsome youth. Mr. P. was a millionaire of the
Antinous type, and America, disappointed of her
pension from Congress, accepted his offer. The
only drawback was that Antinous was as jealous as
Othello.

America, however, gave him no cause for appre-
hension in that direction. Her principal amusements
were hunting and fishing. She was to be seen
hunting the stag, shooting partridges, snipe, quail,
and all the fowls of the air and the waters, A
veritable Isaak Walton in petticoats, she threw her
line over every stream which flowed into Ontario.

The reputation of her beauty attracted to Mr. P.'s
country-house a large number of visitors ; but all,
under one pretext or another, were speedily sent
about their business, often without even an opportu-
nity of presenting to the master of the house their
letters of introduction, and without being found
worthy of a single glance, even were it of disdain,
from the eyes of the fair America. The residence of
Mr. P. soon came to be talked about in all the best
Clubs of the Union as an inaccessibfe Eden, guarded
by the dragons of the Hesperides; and the greater
the difficulty was to approach the feet of the fair Ame-
rica, the greater the number of the Argonauts who
desired to approach that incomparable Golden Fleece.

Chance had brought me into contact with Mr. P.,

18 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

and I had an opportunity of rendering him some
slight service. So one day, finding myself near
Rochester^ on my return from Canada, I determined
to present myself at Lake Manor. The servant who
opened the door told me that his master received
no one; but I desired him in a peremptory tone to
take in my card, and he did so. Within five minutes
Mr. P. came to the door himself, ofi'ering me his
hand with a gracious smile, and assuring me of the
pleasure which it gave him to receive me at his
home.

"You must spend some time with us now; as
long as ever you please. Nothing will give me
greater pleasure."

" Thank you, my dear P.," I replied, " but I am
only a bird of passage : indeed, a carrier-pigeon,
bearing news to my editor-in-chief."

" Nonsense ; he must wait. "Write and tell him
that you will stay a fortnight here."

"Impossible."

"Well, then, a week?"

" It cannot be : but still "

"Ah! come in, then. Let me send for your bag-
gage and introduce you to America." Whereupon
Mr. P. led the way into a splendid drawing-room,
where I found, lounging gracefully on a settee
covered with poppy-coloured satin, the incomparable
America. She was dressed in white muslin, ex-
quisitely embroidered — a work of the fairies — and

THE NORTH AMERICAN FISHERIES. 19

bade me welcome in the sweetest voice I ever heard.
I thought I was transported into some other planet,
a paradise of angels.

I have no intention of wearying my readers with
all the details of the delights of this Capua, where
I ultimately stayed a fortnight. Knowing my
fondness for sport, Mr. P. and America exhausted
their ingenuity to invent every day some new plea-
sure of this kind.

One evening, after supper, the conversation turned
upon trout-fishing. On one side of the princely
domain of Mr. P. was a rapid stream, which rushed
down in cataracts towards the lake. The depths
below each fall were reservoirs of trout, which fre-
quently attained there the most gigantic proportions.
I had seen some of them of at least five-and-twenty
pounds weight, served upon Mr. P.'s table, and their
flavour had astonished me quite as much as their
size.

Next morning, after breakfast, my hosts of Lake
Manor and myself, proceeded to the spot in an
elegant open char-d-banc, which America herself
drove with admirable skill and grace. She was
attired in a dress well fitted for a sportswoman, —
short petticoats, very wide trousers, strong boots,
and a jacket which would have been called a Zouave
if the fashion had been known in those days.

We alighted at a place where the stream fell at
least twenty feet into a natural basin, whose borders

20 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

■were carpeted with moss, blue periwinkle, and
orchids. The surface of the water was constantly
disturbed by fish coming up to breathe the air, or to
snap up an insect. By the orders of Mr. P., lines
had been brought to the place, with several hinds of
nets. We all first of all tried our skill with the
artificial fly, but I must confess that I was-too much
occupied Avith watching America to pay much atten-
tion to what I Avas doing. She, however, set about
her task in earnest, and the trout were soon heaped
up at her feet, in a reservoir net which she arranged
herself at the margin of the basin.

Mr. P. had gone on to try another pool, Avhen

America said to me : " I see the line-fishing wearies

you. Let me show you how to use the casting net.

I elect you my boatman ordinary and extraordinary.''^

" You use the casting net ? "

" Certainly, and very well too. E voi vedrete la
mia abilita."

" That I can well believe, and yet '^

" Well, get into the boat, and row it gently down
the stream. Make as little noise as possible."

There was an elegant little canoe, which we both
entered, she standing at the prow with her net
thrown over her shoulders, and presently (svTinging it
two or three times) she threw it into the water
in a circle — no practised fisherman could have
done it better. The cast was so successful that I
had to come to the assistance of my joyous com-

THE NORTH AMEEICAN FISHERIES. 21

panion. Within the meshes of the casting net \^'e
found seven enormous trout^ nine smaller onesj an
eel, and a six pound salmon. America clapped her
hands, and called out for Mr. P. to come and partake
of her joy, which was that of a child. He was soon
with us, and had been equally successful with his
fishing. The total catch for the day was forty-five
trout, of which eleven weighed from, eight to nine
pounds, fifteen eels, over a hundred gudgeons, three
smallish salmon, and nineteen basse.

The day after this extraordinary take I was com-
pelled, by an imperative letter from my editor, to
choose between my immediate return or retirement
from my engagement. My friend, who had no great
liking for the celebrated James Gordon Bennett, the
chief editor and proprietor of the Neiu York Herald
(of whom I was then the liegeman), wished me to
adopt the latter alternative ; but the necessity for
work was too strong for me, and I had to take leave
sorrowfully of my amiable hosts.

J\lany a time since my return to France, have I
inquired of Americans for news of my friends of
Lake Manor, but without hearing anything of
them. Should these lines ever come under the eyes
of America and Mr. P., I hope they will remember
that they have in Paris a friend who has not for-
gotten them.

22 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

II.— LINE-FISHING.

I AM convinced that the perusal of Robinson
Ci-usoe, the Swiss Robinson, and the works of Cooper,
Mayne Reid, and other authors of the same kind —
of even my own, it may be — has attracted from the
paternal roof many of our most celebrated sailors,
and that it will continue to produce the same eifect
as often as occasion offers ; but I am still more cer-
tain that the greater part of the anglers who line the
banks of the Seine, the Marne, and the other great
rivers of the world, have been inspired with the
"fatal" passion by reading fishing manuals, and
works which promise to teach the devotees of the
gentle art how to catch large quantities of fish in a
short time, — works which develope the theory with-
out paying due attention to the practice, and which
serve up their lessons with an accompaniment or
sauce composed of anecdotes, stories of marvellous
takes of fish, and often of exciting illustrations.

I, who wrote this, good fellow angler, read my
Walton years ago — alas, how many ! — with three
companions of my own age"; and at the conclusion of
that captivating reading, we started off at once for a
certain small lake not far from the paternal mansion,
duly furnished with rods, lines, hooks, red worms,
and morsels of cheese — like true Quixotes as we

LINE-FISHING. 23

were in the art of fishing. The season was pro-
pitious. Spring was beginning to melt into summer,
and a warm breeze, perfumed with sage, thyme, and
lavender, freshened our foreheads and played with
our curly locks. I speak of myself as from afar,
and my readers will understand the pleasure I take
in thinking of what I then was, as we ran on to
abridge the distance between my father's house and
the lake of Baux.

One of us — I see him as if it were yesterday —
had accoutred himself after a fashion equally artistic
and picturesque. He had dressed himself in a
serge coat, which was cut in the shape of a long
waistcoat, with large pockets before and behind ;
his legs were encased in wading boots, and he held
in one hand a creel, to contain the fish he intended
to catch, and in the other a fishing-rod and
reel, and a landing-net. The good people whom
we met on the road looked with amazement, as
if they could not understand why M. Max de C.
(whom they all knew well) should dress himself up
like a play-actor. In their eyes, he produced just
the same effect that the hero of La Mancha did upon
the knights of the Sierra Morena, when he appeared
before them all cased in iron, his helmet on his
head, and his lance in rest.

"We soon arrived at the brink of the lake, which
bathed with its clear waters a tuft of green oaks,
whose foliage offered us a shelter against the fervour

24 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

of the southern sun. At a short distance from the
spot which we had chosen for our first attempt at
the gentle sport, a clear rivulet flowed into the
pond from the mountains of La Vacquiere, as if to
warm its icy streams in the warmer waters of the
lake. Often with one of my uncles had I visited
this place in search of water-hens and snipe. It
was, in fact, an excellent place for water-fowl, and
from the occasional disturbance of the surface of
the water, it was easy to see that there were fish
lurking down below among the roots of the aquatic
vegetation.

I had forgotten to state that, without being at
the time acquainted with the sporting maxims of
duFonilleux (whose curious pages I have since read),
we had brought with us a sufficient quantity of
''mouth tackle," in order that we might enjoy the
pleasures of a breakfast alfresco. Before attacking
the victuals, however, it was determined upon that
we should fish ; so to fish we prepared forthwith.

Max was the first to cast his line into the water.
Myself and the others had to put our primitive
tackle in order, and awkward enough we were about
it, you may be sure. All, however, was finally
arranged to the satisfaction of. everybody.

Max was lucky enough. He had soon captured
two tench and a little carp, when Gabriel (friend
number two) cast his line into a corner of the
mouth of the rivulet, and drew out successively

LINE-FISHING. 25

several carp, tencb, and an eel. The rest of us
now made haste to join in the sport, and at last I
threw my bait into the water, arranged, as I
thought, with admirable art. At first, fortune
smiled upon my efforts, and I soon added to the
basket three perch and a small pike, and then — luck
turned against rae.

I must confess, to my shame, that I am somewhat
of a poacher, and fond as I am of net-fishing, line-
fishing has but few attractions for me, principally
because it is so often without result. Moreover I had
not then sufficient adroitness to manage the tackle.
Often I hung up my hook in the endeavour to re-
cover it for the purpose of changing the bait. Then
my line got entangled in the branches of a tree ;
finally, I broke the top of my rod, and grew out of
patience. Disgusted Avitli my own want of skill, I
gave it up in despair, and, throwing myself on the
mossy bank at the foot of the oaks, contented my-
self with watching my three friends.

We breakfasted at mid-day, and after a short
rest the fishing re-commenced, and when evening
had come the basket was so heavy, that we had to
obtain the assistance of a countryman to carry it
home for us.

Next morning, we returned to the spot ; but this
time I renounced the rod and line, and had pro-
vided myself with a spear, which, thanks to the les-
sons which I had received from a well-known

26 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

poacher in the village, I knew how to manage. In
a short time, I managed to land several fine eels
upon the hank, and my success gave me so much
heart, that I worked hard with my spear all day,
and by the evening was proclaimed "king of the
day," an honour which Max had divided the day
before with one of our friends. Happy memories !
Reminiscences of the past, fled, alas ! too soon.

Here is another souvenir connected with line-
fishing which relates to my journeys in the New
World. One morning I was walking out about
sunrise along the banks of Fordham's Brook, near
the Croton Aqueduct, in the neighbourhood of New
York, when my attention was attracted by a fisher-
man who was accompanied by two companions of
strange appearance; the first, who seemed to be
giving the others instruction in the art of fishing,
was an old soldier of Washington's army, — a relic
of a noble band that performed prodigies of valour,
and it was easy to guess, by the state of his clothes,
that he was a man of careful and economical habits.
A large scar divided his right cheek, and gave a hard
expression to his face ; but on looking closer, it was
easy to see that the bottom was better than the sur-
face. A smile softened the angles of his lips, and
his grey locks descended in silky curls behind his
ears, which were ornamented with earrings, accord-
ing to the old fashion. In a word, this fisherman
seemed to me disposed to take the world as it was.

LINE-FISHING. 27

and to hook as many fish as he could during the
day.

The individual to his right was one of those Irish-
men who are called in New York ''Jacks of all
trades ^^ — or, as the Italians have it, tutte sorti di
mestieri — poacher, bully, smuggler, trapper, and (oc-
casionally) grave-digger. The third was what they
call in New York a " Vhoy " — a fellow who has no
business but that of doing nothing. Lean, sly, and
idle-looking, with haggard eyes and neglected gar-
ments ; black coat and vest, shirt of a doubtful tint ;
coloured necktie, and his hat cocked on one side.

The veteran of 1777 was gravely occupied in ex-
amining the contents of the stomach of a salmon-
trout which he had just captured, and was en-
deavouring to ascertain, from what he found there,
what were the insects most sought after by the fish.
He was giving a lesson to his companions, who
seemed very attentive to what he said to them. I
myself listened respectfully to his discourse, and
resolved to follow in his wake, admiring greatly
the address with which he fished across the stream,
avoiding all contact with the bushes. He threw his
fly into the best places, drawing it across the surface
of the stream, and letting it float sometimes into a
deep hollow under the roots of a tree, and sometimes
under the shelter of the bank— likely places for the
big trout to lie in. As he proceeded, the fisherman
explained to his two pupils how to hold the rod, how

28 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

to tie on tlie flies, and how to throw them so as
to attract the fish to rise at them.

A few days before this, I had been reading a few
chapters of Isaak Walton, and the scene recalled to
me the picture of the sage Piscator and his pupil.
The surrounding country, too, reminded me strongly
of that described by the Angler-poet.

Let the reader imagine a deep valley, not far from
the fine mansion inhabited by the Jesuits of Fordham
College, shaded by the leafy trees which clothe the
sides of the slopes which mount up towards the Cat-
skill mountains, and lead onwards to the green and
balmy prairies of Connecticut,

Walton describes somewhere in his work the
charms of a day lit up by a bright sun, whose heat
is now and then tempered by a light rain that gems
the grass with myriads of diamonds.

1 advanced towards the group and entered into
conversation with the old fisherman, who received me
most kindly, and so interested me with his conver-
sation that I remained the whole day with the party,
wandering along the Fordham rivulet, and lending an
attentive ear to the discourse of my Piscator. That
master of the art of fishing was most communicative,
and talked volubly — as light-hearted old men do.
Moreover, he took an evident pride in proving that
no one understood better than he the art of hooking
and landing a fish according to rule.

He took a pleasure in recountinsr to me the ad-

LINE-FISHING. 29

ventures of his youth ; the battles of the AVar of
Independence in vhich he had taken part, and above
all, the celebrated fight of Bunker's Hill, where a
cannon ball had grazed his leg and carried away a
piece of flesh "without touching the bone. Several
other wounds had placed it out of his power to earn
a livelihood, and Washington himself had provided
for him a protection against want by obtaining for
him a pension of three hundred dollars, Avhich the
State paid every three months.

Daniel Tucker — that was the name of the old
warrior — had retired to a cottage near Haarlem, and
lived there in a very simple style, giving himself up
heart and soul to his fondness for fishing. He knew
his Walton by heart, and seemed to have imbibed
from that author a wealth of good humour and
frankness which ])ervaded his whole character and
person. I soon found out that it was proper to
address friend Daniel by no other name than
" Dan." "

The b'hoy, as I afterwards learnt from Dan, was
the son and heir-presumptive of a widow of sixty
years old, who kept a small public-house at Mac-
Comb's Dam, and who was reputed to be Avorth a
little money. Dan, who always found a seat ready
for him in the tap-room, and a gratuitous glass of ale
(by reason of the fact that the widow's husband had
been a comrade), looked after the young Bohemian,
and took a pleasui*e in having him to accompany him

30 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

on his fishing excursions. Thus, he not only dis-
charged a duty to friendship, but enjoyed an oppor-
tunity of satisfying a very natural vanity, by proving
in a practical manner his acquaintance with an art
in which he was really skilled.

Line-fishing is an art. The Americans are as
fond of it as the English are, and it aftords them an
amusement which harmonises well with the culti-
vated regularity of the two countries, where the
fields are arranged in order, the country quiet, the
foliage bushy, but without being encumbered too
much by those brambly barriers which are so fatal
to the integrity of fishing lines. Yes, line-fishiug is
a charming art, and the quiet watchfulness which it
necessitates tempts you, without knowing it, into a
reverie which is interrupted only by the carol of a
bird, the song of a peasant, or the plash of a fish
jumping out of the water, and leaving a ripple for a
few seconds upon the surface. And then what plea-
sure is there in store for the angler who is also a
botanist, when he can take home with him his basket
filled with fish, and an enormous bouquet made up
of the variegated aquatic flora, — narcissus, orchids,
lilies of many colours, nympheas, purple hyacinths,
violets and anemones. With these, you may adorn a
feast, the second course of which has been provided
at small expense, — the salmon trout and the milky-
roed carp.

When I said good-bye to Dan Tucker, I asked

LINE-FISHING. 31

him to give me his address and permission to call
upon him. He consented readily, thanking me for
my politeness, and a few days afterwards, having got
over my lecture on French literature at Fordham
College in good time, I set off on foot to hunt up
my disciple of Isaak Walton.

Dan lived in a pretty cottage at the further end of
the village of Haarlem. His house, which consisted
of two large rooms, was situated in the midst of a
garden, the beds of which contained a mixture of the
useful and the agreeable, — vegetables mingled with
flowers. A large honeysuckle adorned the front of
the cottage, and the sides were covered with ivy
and climbing roses.

The front room of the cottage was simply fur-
nished, but with a degree of taste that might well
have passed for luxury. Over the old-fashioned
chimney, which was large enough to shelter a regi-
ment of friends, the old soldier had arranged a
trophy of muskets belonging to Washington's time,
— sabres, swords, Indian tomahawks, and bows
and arrows, the whole surmounted by one of the
head-dresses worn by the Red Skins, made of otter's
fur and adorned with eagle's feathers. On a kind of
pedestal surrounded by palm-leaves stood a plaster
statue of Washington, simple and dignified, on the
brow of which Dan had placed a crown of immortelles.
On the whitewashed walls, and in maple frames,
were strange lithographs of rude drawing and homely

32 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

execution, tie only merit and pretension of which
were to illustrate the campaigns of the heroes of Ame-
rican Independence. I must not forget to mention,
however, a trophy of fishing implements, consisting
of everything that an experienced fisherman could
require, and all arranged in the most perfect order.
The furniture of this room consisted of an oak table,
an arm-chair with a tall back, two rocking-chairs,
and four wooden stools. In the centre of the table
stood a stoneware vase filled with aquatic flowers ; on
one side, a Bible covered with blue paper to preserve
the shagreen binding, and on the other, a few news-
papers piled over each other. The other room was
the bed-room.

Dan Tucker's family consisted of a dog, a vigilant
fellow who looked after the cottage when his master
was absent, and whose usual seat was on the threshold
of the front door. Tom always announced a visitor
by a bark, but he showed a formidable set of teeth
at the same time, unless Dan told him to be quiet,
in which case he obeyed instantly. This is what
happened when I paid my visit. Dan soon pacified
Tom, who had never seen me before, and invited me
to come in.

I found the fisherman seated on a bench near liis
door, enjoying his pipe, Tom lying at his feet on a
straw mat placed for that purpose. Tucker had
been out fishing all day, and narrated to me all
his exploits with as much gusto as if he had returned

LTNE-FISHING. 33

from a grand sporting expedition. He grew quite
animated in telling me how he had managed to land
an enormous trout, which had called for the exercise
of all his skill, and which he had presented to Mrs.
Slocum, the excellent hostess of the Haarlem inn.

I learnt at Haarlem that Dan Tucker was the
favourite of the village and the oracle of all the tap-
rooms round, charming his audiences by his stories
of their country's glory, and by the songs which he
sang with a true and sympathetic voice. He was also
in great request at some of the villas of the wealthier
merchants, where, by way of recompense for lessons
in angling given to the lads, he was often invited to
take his seat at the table and enjoy a glass of good
port or sherry.

Friend Dan led a life free from trouble, happy and
calm. When the weather was fair, he lived from
morn till night on the banks of the neighbouring
streams and rivers ; and in winter he was fully occu-
pied in preparing, by the side of his coal fire, his
fishing-tackle for the coming season, and in invent-
ing new kinds of flies calculated to tempt the
craftiest trout.

Every Sunday, Dan went to Haarlem Church, but
he usually fell asleep during the sermon of the vene-
rable pastor, who pardoned him, however, for this
little breach of decorum, for he respected this old
relic of the War of Independence. Dan had bar-
gained with him to be buried under the grass-covered

34 SPORT IN NORTH A3IERICA.

hillock beneath which his father and mother had
reposed for many years.

• And so ends this preliminary chapter of a series
of fishing sketches. It seemed to me that this
picture of the American fisherman was a good
example to humanity, for, according to the precepts
of old Isaak, he was Virtue's friend, trusted in Pro-
vidence, had a tranquil spirit, and only fished ivith

III.— THE FISHING-EAGLE OF SARATOGA
SPRINGS.

Onk evening, by one of the finest moonlights
that ever illuminated the giant banks of the Hudson,
I got on board one of those floating mansions which
navigate that great water-way of the United States,
setting out on my mission as a journalist to visit
that fashionable watering-place where all the beaux
and belles of New York (especially those who are
called in good Saxon the Cod-fish aristocracy— \i\
allusion to the way in which the majority of their
fortnnes have been made) are accustomed to con-
gregate. I need scarcely say that I spent as much
of the night as possible upon deck, and only sought
my berth after smoking a good many prime Havan-

THE FISHING-EAGLE. 35

nahs. When I awoke, we were at Albany, and it was
five in the morning. The river-fogs were still con-
tending for mastery with the rays of the rising sun,
and half-awakened Nature spread before me a scene
which must ever be new in spite of every attempt to
render it familiar by description. We found the
town fast asleep, but in the environs a few country-
houses began to be stirring, and at the window ap-
peared rosy faces yet slightly veiled by the traces of
slumber.

At West Troy, I crossed the Hudson by the ferry-
boat— an embarkation which moved quite indepen-
dently of steam. Two horses, shut up in a drum-
shaped box upon the deck, supplied the motive
power to this primitive construction. These unhappy
quadrupeds, condemned to perpetual motion without
progress, move beneath their feet a moveable plat-
form, the bottom of which turns round in the water.
It is the screw reduced to its simplest form. During
our short passage we had leisure to examine the two
halves of Troy situate on either bank of the river;
the vessels moored to the quays, the roofs of the
houses grouped together in masses, and the factory
chimneys which soar up from the midst, all denoting
a very populous, active, and industrious town.

When the boat touched the opposite bank^ the
railroad awaited us — that tyrant, which grants the
travellers such short respites, and which barely even
allows you the time needful to swallow the semblance

D 2

36 SPOKT IN NORTH A:\IErvICA.

of a breakfast. Without wishing too raucli harm
to the directors, I must say that the railway from
Troy to Whitehall is one of the worst managed lines
that ever made a traveller uncomfortable. It is true
that they send to fetch you from the very door of
your hotel, but the time thus saved is amply re-
purchased by the carelessness Avith which your
luggage is packed, and the utter want of caution,
manifested throughout. When you arrive at your
destination, you must scramble for your goods and
chattels, or have the satisfaction of seeing them
carried away to the next station, or (worse still !)
whipt off by one of those industrious gentry against
whom you are constantly put on your guard by the
official notice — "Beware of pickpockets.-"

However, when at Kome you must do as Rome
does. We start for Saratoga, and the train, plunging
through an immense covered bridge which crosses
the Hudson, bounds across three arms of the
Mohawk river successively. After that, the country
assumes a new aspect, which it preserves throughout
the remainder of the journey. Man has no longer
entire possession of the vast domain. Fragments of
forest still remain standing, and half-finished clearings
alternate with land carefully cultivated. Occasionally,
we pass a valley which contains a sprinkling of white
houses, and on the approach to Saratoga a vast and
lively panorama displays itself before you to the
right. Then the train stops, casts you forth bag and

THE FISHING-EAGLE. 37

baggage under a kind of shed, and resumes its noisy
career. You are at Saratoga.

At first sight, Saratoga has nothing to distinguish
it from other country towns in the United States.
You see a large town of wooden houses, and streets
lined with trees, built partly in the end of a small
valley and partly up the side of the hill. In the
middle, there is a Broadway of shops, and on each side
pavementless streets, which lose themselves in the
neighbouring fields or woods. In a word, nothing
remarkable, nothing exceptional.

Presently, however, you begin to recognise by
certain signs that there is something remarkable
about the town. You seek in vain for the indications
of some special commerce or manufacture, and look
around in vain for mills or factories. At the station
there are no waggons for bales of goods, nor is there
any sound of industry, that unmistakeable symptom
of a busy or commercial people. In point of fact,
Saratoga has nothing to sell but its mineral waters,
aad derive^ all its fortune from the fashion which
attracts people to them.

As soon as you have thus brought yourself to
look into matters more closely, you have no difQ-
culty in recognising the symptoms of a place fre-
quented by pleasure- seekers. The numerous hotels
are evidently beyond the normal requirements of
such a place. Then there are the idleness, the air of
strangeness, and the elegant attire of those who

38 SPOET IN NORTH AMEIUCA.

promenade the streets with slow and indolent steps ;
the rich display in the shops, and finally, the
equipages standing in front of the doors or rolling
along the streets, contrasting with and shaming the
equipages of the country folk.

The traveller who passed through Saratoga with-
out looking closely into it, would be apt to imagine
that it was a large village, deriving its existence
from some neighbouring industry; but to the man
who passes even two hours in its streets, Saratoga
bears all those signs of ennui, and even of disorder,
which infallibly distinguish all places which are
condemned to live at the expense of an ephemeral
and floating population. It is not a town ; it is
an immense hotel. It is in this charming spot,
in fact, that the fashionable world, emigrating
in the spring, sets up its household gods, — not
only in the vast hotels of the place, but in the
cottages which abound all about. Saratoga is cele-
brated for its mineral waters, and within a circle of
about a mile and a-half the tourist will find in the
valley which surrounds the town, covered springs,
whither, according either to his fancy or the advice
of his medical man, he can repair, tumbler in
hand, and quaff here a chalybeate beverage, there
a solution of manganese, or further on a draught
flavoured with sulphuric acid. In a word, the waters
of Saratoga are laxative, astringent, curative, or
asrreeable. The Congress Well is the most cele-

THE FISHING-EAGLE. 39

brated, and every morning sees grouped around it
the sick, the idle, and the tourist.

One morning in July, 1848, I found myself here
chatting with my friend Captain Mayne Reid, the
author of many charming works on sporting sub-
jects, some of which I have had great pleasure in
rendering into French. We were talking about
hunting, fishing, distant excursions in the vast
forests of the West and across the uncultivated
steppes of the American Sahara, until the morn-
ing seemed as short to us as it did to the idlers of
Saratoga.

" Well,^' said Captain Mayne Reid, " as you are
so keen, I must show you one evening a bit of sport
fit for a king."

" Many thanks, my dear Captain. And what
may that be?'^

" Salmon fishing."

"By all means. And where is it to be? "

" In Saratoga Lake.^'

" Salmon in a lake ! " I replied with astonish-
ment. " I thought that the king of fishes was
never at home except in large streams and rivers ? "

" You are rigUt ; but the Lake Saratoga is a
smaller edition of that which traverses the Rhine
at Geneva ; with this difi'erence, that it is one of tlie
most picturesque localities in New York State.
However, we are only five miles from this splendid
sheet of water, and if nothing prevents you from

40 SPOltT IN NORTH AMERICxV.

joining me to-morrow evening (provided always
there be a fine moonlight), we shall enjoy a kind
of sport known only to the friends of Mr. Marvin.
We shall be fortunate indeed if the worthy host
agrees to lend us his osprey."

''His osprey ! " I cried. "But what on earth
shall we do with a stinking bird that sleeps all day
long in the hotel garden? "

" We shall do with him what the sportsmen" of
the middle ages used to do when they rode forth
upon their steeds, with falcon on wrist. ^^

" Then Marvin's osprey has been trained as the
ger-falcons and merlins of former days ? ^'

" Precisely ! he is a fishing-eagle, and of the best
kind."

" Ha ! ha ! Then Marvin's osprey be it, by all
means. Make every arrangement for the expedi-
tion, and I will join you. At what o'clock shall
we start ? "

" About three in the afternoon. We will sup at
the Lake Hotel, and after a glass of toddy and a
cigar, we will embark with Sandy Hair, the old
fisherman of the place."

"Agreed. At three o'clock to-morrow be it."^

We parted ; he to the hotel, and I after my busi-
ness. That evening, when I met him at the hotel,
he told me that Marvin had consented to let us
have his osprey, and I may add he had proffered
us this service in the most obliging manner. In-

THE FISHING-EAGLE. 41

deed, it sliould be noted that the worthy host of
Saratoga has always professed a particular deference
and esteem towards men of letters. He placed the
osprey entirely at our disposal, only requiring us to
take the greatest care of him, and not to fatigue
him too much; for, said he, "Jonathan" — that
was the bird's name, — ''is such a desperate fisher-
man, that he'll work all night if you let him.''

Next day, at three o'clock precisely, Reid and
myself got into a buggy, with our osprey slung in
a large hamper behind. As we drove through Sara-
toga it was the time for promenading, and those who
were acquainted Avith Reid and myself looked at us
with an inquisitive air, as if demanding what we had
got in our basket. We drove rapidly on, however,
and were soon lost in the hilly road which mounts
up from Saratoga to the forest-crowned summits, on
the opposite side of which was the lake. The road
was splendid and very well kept, although the
country which it traversed w^as not cleared for more
than a third of its length. On both sides our gaze
was arrested by impenetrable screens of verdure,
forests which the axe had respected, and whose
superb vegetation surpassed all that the imagination
could conceive. The tops of the pines intermingled
with those of the cypress, the elms mingled with
the maples, and the chestnut-trees interlaced both
roots and branches with those of the stately oak.
Beneath the tall trees grew junipers, ferns, brambles.

42 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

and brusliwood of every kind, mingled witli creepers
and wild vines. A thousand strange noises were
heard in these solitudes, and disturbed the silence
which reigned around. Sometimes it was the hooting
of the owls or the cav/ing of the rooks; sometimes
the song of mocking-bird, or the murmur of a
cascade falling upon moss-clad rocks ; sometimes it
was the squirrel playing among the branches, or the
call of the moor-cock in the underwood.

Apparently, we incurred no kind of danger in the
middle of this civilized country, but at a turn of the
road a fearful spectacle met our eyes. Clouds of
smoke obscured the heavens, and a devouring flame
was licking up the trees and crackling with a noise
resembling a discharge of musketry. The forest
had been set on fire by the carelessness of some
wood-cutters, and we could see the poor devils,
frightened out of their, wits at the mischief they had
caused, huddled together by tlie roadside, and look-
ing with an air of stupefaction at the progress of the
flames. I had never seen anything grander, and
even the fire in the prairie which had so nearly put
an end to my career in 1843, had not offered so
terrible a spectacle as these trees, wrestling as it
were in the agonies of death, and falling down into
the flames which consumed them. Our horse began
to be frightened, and raised his head as if he wished
to run away ; but lleid held him with a firm grip,
and cried out to me not to stir, for he would answer

THE FISHESfG-EAGLE. 43

for our safety. On this, I shut my eyes, holding on
fast to the sides of the vehicle, whilst Reid drove on
through the fiames. Five minutes afterwards, E-eid,
who had never lost his presence of mind throughout,
called out, " All right, my friend, here we are on the
other side the fire, and there^s nothing more to fear.''

I opened my eyes and found a splendid view
before them. Within a few yards of the scene of
the calamity. Nature was as calm as if nothing had
happened. One would have supposed it to have
been a dream from which we had just awakened.
Even the horse understood that there was no longer
a^y danger, for he calmed down at once without
requiring to be pulled up. Presently we heard the
osprey fluttering about in its basket, and on Eeid
getting down he found the bird flapping its wiugs
against the wicker sides like one demented. The
bird had evidently understood the danger to which
we had been exposed, and on recovering its presence
of mind was attempting to take flight. Eeid, how-
ever, soon calmed it with voice and gesture, and
the intelligent creature soon regained its ordinary
quietude.

Our vehicle soon resumed its course, and turning
down a cross-road leading to the lake we soon
reached the Lake Hotel, where we arrived a little
after five o'clock, and where we found the host
waiting for us on the threshold, with a napkin
under his arm and a smile upon his lips.

44 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

"Welcome, gentlemen; I was waiting for you.
Marvin gave me notice you were coming, and if your
appetites are as good as my cook's fare, I shall be
delighted. The champagne is in ice, and I've some
capital Medoc. Shall dinner be served at once ?"

" By all means.^^

" That's right. Come, boys, push about, and serve
up hot. Take as much care of these gentlemen as
you can."

Whilst Mr. Gibson, the landlord and proprietor
of the Lake Hotel, was welcoming us in his some-
what Irish fashion, Mayne K-eid and I got down
from the trap, and confided the horse and vehicle to
the care of a black stable-help. Gibson led the way
into an elegant dining-room, with drawing-room
adjacent, and the windows opening upon a verandah,
beneath which we could hear the Avashing of the
lake itself. As the osprey was not to be fed, we
gave orders to the servants not to open the lid of his
hamper, and by no means to ofi'er him the smallest
scrap of victuals ; for it is absolutely essential to the
success of this kind of fishing that the bird of prey
should be fasting, and sufficiently hungry to attack
the fish in the water.

I pass over the details of the dinner which had
been prepared for us by the c//e/of the worthy host.
It was exquisite, and was composed of excellent
fish, superior meat, capital vegetables, and delicious
fruit. The champagne was as cool as snow, and the

THE FISHINC4-EAGLE. 45

Medoc sparkled like rubies in the glasses. Then
came cofiFee and liqueurs, all first-rate; and these,
•with regalias, completed a repast of which a cordon
bleu might have been proud.

Whilst we thus gave ourselves up to forgetfulness
in this American Capua, night came on, and just
as we desired, a fine moon rose upon the horizon,
shedding its silver radiance over the star-spangled
heavens, when Sandy Hair, the fisherman of the
lake, came to rouse us from our dream, and inform
us that it was " time to go." Seizing the hamper
containing the osprey, and placing it on his head
with one hand, whilst in the other he held a three-
pronged spear with a fir handle, he led the way-
down the garden to the banks of the lake, where
we found a good-sized boat securely moored.

" Good luck to ye, gentlemen,^' cried Gibson
from the verandah, whither he had accompanied us,
and to whose good wishes we replied -with a fervent
'' Thank you."

" You must keep quiet, massas,^' Avhispered Sandy
Hair, casting the boat loose, and paddling it through
a bed of water-lilies. '' De captin' know berry well
how easy the salmon are frighted. When we are
once out in de lake, there must be only signs and
no talkee."

" Quite right, Sandy," replied my friend, and I
of course promised to obey orders.

The black then began to row vigorously, but

46 SPOPvT IN NORTH AMERICA.

quietly, so as to get into the stream ; and when we
reached that a stroke now and then, quietly pulled,
was all that was necessary.

The surface of the water looked like oil, and
whilst the negro and my companion were care-
fally examining the space around, my eyes were
wandering into the distance, lost in admiration
of the panorama around me. Nothing could be
grander than the large clumps of fir-trees and
dark-foliaged cedars reflecting the silver rays of the
moon. Before us lay a lofty mountain, whose steeps
disappeared among clumps of privet, wild vines, and
dwarf oaks. All round the lake, down to the very
margin, the pines and cedars mingled their leafy
branches, casting dark shadows on the water, to
within fifteen or twenty yards from the brink. To
our right, a log cabin, the habitation of some wood-
cutter or squatter, displayed through the chinks of
an ill-made door a ray of the illumination within,
whilst a thin Avreath of white smoke made its escape
by a chimney made of a drain-pipe covered with
turf. A little island planted all over with pine-
trees was on our left. Sandy Hair steered our boat
under the shadow of these trees, and made a sign
to indicate that the time had arrived for setting
Jonathan at liberty.

Upon this, Reid and I opened the basket, and let
the osprey act as he pleased. We could readily
guess, by the appearance of the surface of the water.

THE FISHING-EAGLE. 47

that fisli were all round us. The osprey first shook
his AviugSj and stretched his neck and legs, then
sharpened his claws and beak. Presently we saw
him take flighty and after hovering about fifty yards
over our heads, dart like an arrow upon a black spot
which appeared about fifty yards from the boat.
The disturbance of the water at first prevented us
from seeing what Jonathan had caught; but pre-
sently, when the bird had succeeded in fixing his
talons in the fish's back, we saw him raise up an
enormous salmon, whose repeated efi'orts could not
free itself from the terrible embrace. As long-
as it could remain on the surface of the water, its
struggles and blows with the tail were tremendous ;
then it endeavoured to dive and drag its tormentor
with it down into the depths of the lake. It was all
in vain. The osprey soon won the victory, and we
saw him soar above our heads, holding in his claws,
as in a vice, a magnificent silver-scaled fish of some
twenty pounds weight.

Sandy Hair well knew what to do at this con-
juncture, and obedient to a sign from the Captain,
he paddled in the*^ direction of the bird, whom my
friend recalled by a peculiar cry, which was obeyed
immediately, and a moment afterwards Jonathan de-
posited at the bottom of our boat the splendid salmon.
As is invariably the case, the fish's eyes had been
scooped out by the bird, to render the victory easy.
Two pecks with the beak had settled that matter.

48 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

I could scarcely believe my senses. The strange
spectacle presented by this curious mode of fishing
made me feel as if in a dreaui, Avhen Mayne Reid
whispered, " Look out ! Jonathan's off again."

Once more the fishing-eagle had sighted his prey
in the wake of our boat, and in a moment he was
fifty feet above our heads. For a short time he
hovered in space, and then, as before, came down
with incredible swiftness, and an enormous salmon
was fighting in his clutches, which, obedient to the
call of Mayne Reid and Sandy Hair, he presently
deposited at the bottom of the boat. Five times did
the brave Jonathan renew this extraordinary per-
formance, and five times did he obtain a victor}^ over
the prey, Avhich vainly struggled against him in the
liquid element.

On the sixth occasion, alas ! whilst Jonathan was
hovering above the lake, a shot was heard from the
shore in the direction of the log-cabin which has
been already mentioned, and what was our dismay
when we saw our osprey wheel round and drop an
inert mass upon the surface of the water, never
more to rise ! A few words will sferve to explain the
accident. The inhabitant of the log-cabin was fish-
ing quietly in front of his hut when he saw the bird,
and without suspecting that we were lurking near
(for our boat was concealed beneath the shadow of
the island), but taking Jonathan for one of those
wild depredators whom all sportsmen make war

THE FISHING-EAGLE. 49

upon whenever they get them within reach of their
guns, he imagined that he was only performing an
act of justice in taking a shot at Mr. Marvin's bird.

Reid, Sandy Hair, and I lost no time in getting
to the bank and running to the hut of the wretch
whose fatal skill had played us such a trick, all
charitably intending to give him such a lesson that
he would not be likely to repeat his exploit ; but the
fellow was a genuine Yankee, and his imperturbable
coolness and the reasonableness of his answers (given
with the nasal twang peculiar to his race) completely
disarmed us.

" Wall ! Heow w as I tu know that the bird was
a genewine sportsman, — a bird fit to be fed on larks,
and not a darned thief only fit to be stuff"ed ? Mr.
Marvin^s osprey, was it ? Wall ! I^m very sorry,
but what ken I du? I ken only git another, and I
ra'aly think that won't be very difficult. Other day
I saw a nest of 'em in a rock at the end of the lake,
and there's probably eggs, if not young 'uns. The
old birds air finer than Jonathan. It's a great pity
— but what ken be done ? I'll look at the nest, and
when the birds are strong, I'll shoot the old birds
and take the young 'uns and send 'em to Mr.
Marvin. I hope he'll excuse me — but what cud
Idu?"

We had nothing for it but to be satisfied with his
excuses, but the great difficulty with Reid and my-
self was how to break the news to Mr. Marvin so as

50 SPORT IN KORTH AMERICA.

to make him satisfied Avith the proposed arrange-
ment. After a consultation -with Mr. Gibson Ave
determined upon the following course of action : We
were to stay a day or so at the Lake Hotel and fish
or shoot, whilst Sandy was to be despatched to Mr,
Marvin with a letter in which Reid and I explained
to Mr. Marvin the lamentable end of Jonathan,
and the arrangement Ave had come to with his mur-
derer.

Sandy came back next day. Mr. Marvin, Avith
his usual good feeling, had received the fatal neAvs
like a hero. He sent us a very friendly letter,
thanking us warmly for the measures which we
had taken to repair his loss, "only/' added he,
" do you think the confounded Yankee Avill keep
his word ? "

"We must go and look after the fellow," said
Mayne Reid, " and remind him of his promise ;" and
Avithout further delay, when we had finished our
breakfast, we got into Sandy's boat, each armed with
a rifle Avhich our host lent us.

The Yankee was sitting in front of his door,
smoking his pipe, when we arrived opposite the hut.
After listening to Marvin's letter, he agreed to start
at once for the osprey's nest, in order that Ave
might at once ascertain what it contained. This
proposition suited us exactly and we took him into
our boat, with his long rifle, the very weapon with
which he had committed the crime. An hour after-

THE FISHING-EAGLE. 51

wards we reached the bottom of a perpendicular
rock, which rose sheer out of the lake and we could
distinctly make out the eyrie of the birds about five
and twenty yards up the face. It was built in a
fissure and rested partly on a shrub, whose roots ad-
hered to the rock. It was probable that at that
hour of the day the nest would be deserted and that
the old birds were seeking their own food or that of
their eaglets.

The Yankee took ofi" his coat, climbed up the
rock, and in a few moments found himself on a
level with the Osprey's eyrie.

" Hurrah ! " cried he, "there^s three young 'uns,
and all fit to take. We're jest in time, for in three
days they'd all have gone. Must make haste get
'em down though, for the old 'uns won't be far ofi".
Look out below, while I pack 'em up."

By the aid of a long cord and a handkerchief tied
together at the four corners the three eaglets were
got down in safety, when Sandy drew our attention
to a couple of black spots which appeared in the
distance.

" Here am de fader and moder ; so de Yankee
must look out if he don't come down quick."

" Down with you," cried Mayne Reid, " there
come the eagles ! "

Our Yankee friend did not wait for a repetition of
the warning, but down he came much quicker than
he went up, and at the very moment when his feet

52 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

touched the bow of the boat the ospreys reached
their eyrie. "Fire!" cried Mayne Reid. There
was a double explosion aud the two birds fell mor-
tally wounded, down the branches and rocks right
into the lake. These birds measured six feet three
inches across the wings, and- their skins were sent to
New York to be stuffed for Barnum's Museum.
Poor Jonathan obtained the same honour, though it
was a recompense too feeble for his merits aud his
virtues. As for the three young ospreys, only two of
them throve.

One of my friends who is still living in the States
wrote to me lately sending me the kind remem-
brances of Mr. Marvin, adding by way of postscript
that the ospreys of the United States Hotel were
in excellent case, and that they worthily succeeded
their predecessor in providing their fortunate pro-
prietor with the best salmon in Saratoga Lake.

Five months after the adventure which I have nar-
rated, the Yankee who slew Jonathan was drowned
in the lake, and his body was found half devoured
by the birds of prey. So Jonathan was avenged
after all.

THE MILK POND OYSTEES. 63

IV.— THE MILK POND OYSTERS.

The excellent La Fontaine (that admirable wit,
who was a genius without pretending to be so) has
penned in one of his Fables one of the finest
eulogiums possible upon the oyster. Two lovers
of the shell-fish find an oyster on the shore at
the same moment, and quarrel about its posses-
sion. One of them, at last, makes the following
proposition : —

" Celui qui le premier a pu I'apercevoir
En sera le gobeur, I'autre le verra faire.
— Si par-la Ton juge I'aifaire,
Keprit sou compagnon, j'ai I'ceil bon, Dieu merci !
— Je ne I'ai pas mauvais aussi,
Dit I'aiitre ; et je I'ai vue avant vous, sur ma vie !
— Eh bien, vous I'avez vue et moi je I'ai sentie !"

A judge, named Pierre Dandin, passes by, and
they accept him for arbitrator ; but mark the re-
sult. Instead of considering which of the two has
the best right, the man of law seizes the oyster,
opens, and swallows it with the utmost gravity, and
then having given —

" a cbacun une ^caille"

gives orders

" Qu'en paix chacun cliez soi s'en aille."

Certainly an oyster must be an article of great

64 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

importance for two men to quarrel about its posses-
sion, and for a judge to be guilty of such a denial
of justice for its sake. This fable is more than a
eulogium of the oyster ; it is an apotheosis.

The oyster is one of those creatures which are to
be met with almost everywhere, in every sea, and
which have served for the food of men in very remote
ages.* It is a light, nutritious, and agreeable food,
and is so easily digested that great oyster-eaters
have been known to eat from fifty to eighty dozen
without the slightest inconvenience, and some even
can eat a hearty breakfast after such a preface, just
as if they had eaten absolutely nothing.

This is not all that may be urged in favour of
oysters. The water which they contain holds
sulphate of magnesium, sulphate of lime, and

* The most ancient naturalists make mention of the oyster. It was
upon the shells of these molluscs that the Athenians wrote their
suffrages and voted their decrees, and the word Ostracism is derived
from; the Greek "Oa-rpeov, which signified Oyster. It seems impossible
that before using the shell the Athenians did not discover the value of
its contents. According to Pliny, a certain ingenious Roman, Serglus
Grata by name, invented a mode of constructing vivaria in the neigh-
bourhood of Baiae for the purpose of fattening oysters, particularly
those of the Lucrine Lake, which then had a great reputation on
account of their delightful flavour. This invention dates from the time
of the orator Lucius Crassus, before the Marsic War ; but before the
time of Pliny himself the Romans had begun to recognise the superiority
of Ocean oysters over those of the Mediterranean. They were sent to
Italy during the winter packed up in .snow, sufficiently compressed
to prevent the shell from opening. Vitellius, say some historians,
was in the habit of devouring twelve hundred at each meal, and he
repeated this four times a day. What a stomach for oysters ! and
what capacity !

THE MILK POND OYSTERS. 55

osmazome. It frees the digestive and biliary-
organs, and has other good effects. The shells
even are useful as manure for the soil, and for
filtering purposes.

The oysters of the United States are, in my
opinion, the best in the world, and there is an im-
mense consumption of oysters there. It is almost
a national food. Oysters served plain, or with
pepper, salt, and vinegar, oyster-soup, fried oysters,
oyster-sauce, pickled oysters, and so forth. The
shells are then gathered carefully, taken into the
country, ground to powder, and used for the reno-
vation of the soil, and so nothing is wasted either of
the shell or its contents.*

* The reader may not be unwilling to receive a few particulars as to
tlie nature of the oyster, so I will add the following : —

The general character of the oyster is to be oval in shape, sometimes
round, but never symmetrical ; the shell thickish, pearly inside, and
more or less roughly laminated on the exterior. The creature has a
head, or rather a part fui-nished with a mouth, corresponding with the
hinges and ligaments which unite the valves ; the hinder part, which
is larger, lies towards the open side of the valves. The mantle (a
thin transparent skin which covers all the body of the oyster) is very
ample, and formed of two lobes separated from each other in every
part of their circumference, except above the mouth, where it forms a
kind of hood which covers the mouth. This mantle is thickened at
the borders and provided with two rows of cilia, or very sensitive
tentacles, which are muscular and retractile. It is foi-med of two
leaves, in the interior of which a yellow matter is secreted, which,
according to the commonly received opinion, is composed of the eggs.

The oyster has no organs of locomotion, and those of sight, hearing
and smell appear to be equally wanting. It adheres to its shell by a
very powerful muscle. The apparatus of nutritioa is better defined
than that of relation. The mouth is large, simple, easily dilated, and
placed on the anterior part of the fold of the mantle, inside the hood

66 SPORT IN NORTH A3IERICA.

Oysters abound along all the coasts of North
America and enter largely into the food of the
people. The bays and creeks of New Jersey, Mas-
sachusetts, Delaware, Virginia, the two Carolinas,
Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Texas abound with
oysters which attain an enormous size and are of ex-
quisite flavour.* In the Northern States, the oysters

■whicli is formed by the junction of the two lobes, and it is furnislied
with two pairs of tentacles. The mouth leads directly into the stomach,
■which is a pocket furnished with very thin sides and is placed in the
thickness of the liver, which is very large and of a brown colour, with
a number of openings to give vent to the secretions. The intestine
winds about several times inside the liver and issiies from it about the
middle of the back, where it terminates by a moveable, infundibuliform
orifice. ,

The respiratory organs consist of four leaves of unequal length.
The apparatus for circulation consists of a pyriform heart, placed
between the adductor muscle and the viscera. From the heart issues
a large aortic canal which is divided into three branches, one for the
mouth and tentacles, one for the liver and organs of digestion, and the
third for the posterior part of the body. Oysters are hermaphrodite
and reproduce without copulation. About the beginning of spring,
they eject a spawn which resembles drops of tallow, in which, by the
aid of a magnifyiug glass, may be distinguished a multitude of small
oysters all ready formed, which attach themselves to rocks and stones,
to each other, and to every solid object which comes in their way.
The shell is formed by the membranous covering called the mantle.
In the thickness of the warp of this cloak, an organic woof has been
observed in which a great many calcareous granules are secreted,
■which granules, with the organic matter which surrounds them, serve
to increase the thickness of the covering.

[Although some objection might be taken to certain points in this
description of the physiology of the oyster, it is sufficiently near to the
present state of knowledge to pass muster. — Trans.]

* The food of the oyster in a wild state consists of spawn, ento-
mozoa, &c. Their duration of existence has not been ascertained ;
but three years are required to produce a marketable oyster, and some
think that they do not live beyond ten to fifteen years.

THE MILK POND OYSTEKS. 57

are smaller, but always excellent. They are found on
every shore, attached to rocks and the roots of trees.
They remain there quite immoveable, fixed to each
other and forming those oyster-banks where the
dredgers come to fish for them to form parks, where
they are fed upon ground Indian corn, bran and
vegetables, which give them that delicious flavour
which is so highly appreciated. These reservoirs of
salt-water are usually from three to four feet deep,
and communicate with the sea by a reservoir whereby
the water can flow in and out.

All along the coasts of North America the oyster
fishery is closed during the months of May, June,
July and August. The popular prejudice (and a
very salutar}?- one it is in its results) is that, when
there is no E in the name of the month, oysters are
unwholesome. The fact is that oysters are edible at
all seasons, but during these four months, the stomach
of the creature assumes a whitish colour, because
the ovary is full. It is the season for spawning or
spatting. Thus law and popular prejudice are for-
tunately in accordance.

The fishing for oysters is managed with the drag,
a sort of bent iron shovel, furnished with a bag or
pocket made of leather or rushes, or a net made of
strong cord ; and this is firmly fastened to the stern
of the boat, which sails on slowly before the wind,
drawing the drag after it, which scrapes up the
oysters like a rake, and collects them into the bag or

58 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

pocket. By this means, twelve hundred oysters
may sometimes be drawn up at a liaul. These
oysters fished up from the ocean in a wild state are
placed in parks, in which they are laid in their
natural position (that is to say, flat, with the dome-
shell underneath), on the sloping part of the shore,
but at a sufficient depth to render it difficult for
thieves to get at them, and yet not at too great a
depth, for fear of the mud deposits. If the Sur-
veyor (as the man is called who looks after the
park), has placed the oysters properly, if he manages
them with care, and above all if he prevents a
deposit of mud from burying them, — a risk to which
they are always very liable, — for which purpose, he
cleanses the walls of the park constantly, and throws
clean water over the oysters whenever they are left
dry, — his oysters will be all the sooner fit for the
market. He must carefully pick out all those that
die ; and they may easily be detected by the fact
that they keep their valves open when the water is
down.

Crab's are very fond of oysters, and come up into
the parks with the flow of the tide ; mussels and
starfish or five-fingers (which suck the creature out
with their trunks or suckers), and the whelks, are
also dangerous enemies which have to be avoided.

In addition to these, there is a bird which devours
oysters in large quantities. It belongs to the order
Charadriadts, and, is called the oyster-catcher [Haema-

THE MILK POND OYSTERS. 59

topus ostralegus). He is timorous, watchful, and
always on his guard ; he walks along the shore with
a certain air of dignity, which sets off his beautiful
black and white plumage and his coral-coloured
beak. On the oyster-beds, the oyster-catcher employs
that arched beak by inserting it between the oyster
and the rock to which it is fixed; and when the
valves open he seizes the poor mollusc, tears it out,
and flies off with a lamentable cry, " Wheep !
wheep \" skimming the waves leisurely as he goes,
and betaking himself to some favourite rock where
he can devour his prey without fear of being dis-
turbed. As he is not worth much as game, the
oyster-catcher is usually shot only by the Surveyors,
who treat them exactly as our gamekeepers treat
the magpies, martins, sparrow-hawks, buzzards, and
other birds of prey.

The best oysters in the United States are the
Shrewsbury and the Milk Pond oysters. In Rhode
Island, moreover, they produce green oysters,* but

* Green oysters are the same species as the -white ones, and they
may he^greened intentionally. For this purpose, a park is chosen,
generally a small one, and one in which the sea-water can be kept for
a greater or less time without changing. When the stones or shingle
at the bottom of the park begin to turn green, the oysters are laid
down ; but they must be arranged with greater care than is usually
employed in laying oysters in a park, and above all, they must not be
placed one over another. The consequence is, that when oysters are
laid to green they require three times the space needed for ordinary
purposes. Sometimes three days will suffice to give them a light green
tint ; but to acquire the deep green shade a month is necessary. The
oysters will not take the green colour iu winter, nor in a season of

60 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

they are little esteemed on account of their coppery
taste. Besides this^ the fishing for pearl oysters
goes on there ; and before completing this chapter I
must give some account of that.

Up to 1856, it was supposed that the pearl-oyster
was only found in the Indian and Chinese seas, the
Persian Gulf, and California ; but in that year
something happened which added the United States
of America to the list of pearl-bearing countries.

Before that time, the Milk Pond surveyors had
occasionally discovered in their oysters, pearls of about
the size of a nail-head ; but one day, a proprietor of
that fishery opening a few dozens for his own break-
fast in the park itself was astonished at finding in
each oyster, with very few exceptions, a pearl vary-
ing in size from a small pea to a hazel-nut. Among
those which he collected, and which were handed
over to Messrs. Tiffany, the New York jewellers,
v/ere some which were purchased for £80 to £120,
and of which the real value was from £200 to £320.
In the East,* where pearls have their highest value,

great heat. A moderate temperature is required for this purpose, such
as in the months of March, April, Septemher, and October. Storms
and rain are unfavourable to the operation, and also great disturbance
of the water, and above all, the north wind. There are years in which
oysters green easily, whilst in others they will hardly change colour.
The greenness is attributed to the mixture of salt and fresh water, to
the action of the sun, to the north-west wind, the nature of the soil,
the weed, and the temperature.

* The Easterns have always had a great fancy for these drops of
solidified dew, as they call the fine pearls, with which they give pomp
and magnificence to their beautiful costumes. 'Ihe Jews, who were

THE MILK POND OYSTERS. 61

Jack Minton, the Milk Pond proprietor, \vould have
soon become a millionaire. One morning. Chance
(that great master of most things sublunary) con-
near the Persian Gulf, where the finest pearls are fished, must have
known them from early times. Job is the earliest author in Holy
Writ who makes mention of pearls. He says : " No mention shall be
made of coral or of pearls, for the price of Wisdom is above rubies,"
and pearls are often mentioned in the Proverbs of Solomon. After
the conquest of Alexandria, when the Macedonians Bad effected the
conquest of the East, luxury was carried to the highest extent, and
Ijearls were among the most highly esteemed of jewels. At the period
of their greatest splendour, the Komans wore garments embroidered
with pearls, and the Roman ladies covered their arms and shoulders
with them, and .strung them in their hair. The value of these jewels
came very near to that of the diamond. Julius Ctesar presented to
Servilia, the mother of Brutus, and sister of Cato, a pearl which was
estimated to be worth £44,000 of our money. The celebrated pearls
which adorned the ears of Cleopatra cost £150,000, and in the f etc
given by Antony, she is reported to have dissolved in vinegar and
drunk in a cup of wine a pearl worth £60,000. One fact is certain,
that long before the discovery of the New World the Red Indians of
America wore necklaces and bracelets of fine pearls. Two centuries
ago, a pearl was purchased at Caltfa, by Tavernier, the traveller, and
sold to the Shah of Persia for £11 2,000. Philip II. of Spain, received
from America a pearl that weighed twenty-five carats, and was valued
at £3200. An Arab prince possessed the most beautiful pearl known;
the most beautiful, not so much on account of its size, as because it
was so clear and transparent that the light could be seen through it.
It weighed only twelve carats and a sixth, but he refused to take
£4000 for it. The Shah of Persia possesses a diadem, each pearl in
which is larger than a hazel nut. Its value is incalculable. At the
"Grande Exposition" of 1855, the Queen of England exhibited some
splecdid pearls, and the Emperor of the French exhibited a collection
of 408 pearls, weighing nearly two hundred and forty-seven grains
each, all of fine form and water. The united value was £20,000. At
the same exhibition also was a magnificent Orient pearl as large as a
partridge's eye, which was valued at a high price by connoisseurs, and
if the fellow to it could only be found, the pair would fetch a price
that could not easily be estimated.

62 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

ducted Jack to the shore of a creek in the state of
New Jersey, not far from his own park at Milk
Pond. It was in the month of June, and it was so
warm that he determined upon taking a bath ; so
he stripped without more ado and plunged into the
water. As he was gambolling about, he picked up
some oysters with his hands, and bringing them
ashore he drew his knife, and proceeded to open
half-a-dozen. "What was his astonishment when
on opening the shells of the first he perceived
a pearl, whose beauty, size, and water so delighted
him, that he uttered a cry of joy. After having
carefully detached and examined it. Jack opened the
rest of the oysters, and found three more in the
remaining five, all however of smaller size than the
first. " Good God ! '^ he cried, " is it possible that
I have discovered a new California ? Let us see,
however, if this be not mere chance." At this
moment, a big hulking fellow appeared calling out
" Shares ! " It was one of those Vhoys of whom
mention has been already made. Jack turned
round, and found the intruder standing at the
entrance of a cave in the rock, where he had been
concealed and whence he had seen all that had
happened, and overheard the imprudent words of
the fisherman.

"Shares?-'^ cried Jack. "Why, what do you
mean ? "

" Oh ! it won't do to turn spiteful with me. I've

THE MILK POND OYSTERS. 63

seen everything, and don't want your leave to jump
in the water, get some oysters, and take my share of
pearls. However, if you've no objection, we'll strike
up a partnership, and shall make our profit of it.''

Jack bit his lips with rage; but there was no
remedy for it. "Very well," he cried, "let us be
partners. Of course we shall neither of us say
anything about it, and meantime we must always fish
together, and the price of the produce will be
divided between us. Pray, what is your name ? "

" Drake ! Junius Drake, at your service."

" There is my hand then, my dear Drake. Let
us continue to fish together as friends and brothers."
And, upon this, Jack threw himself into the water,
and was speedily followed by his companion.

"Not to make a long story of it, before the day
came to an end the two partners had gathered
about three hundred oysters, in which they found
seventy-one pearls of various sizes, some as large as
a hazel-nut, but all round, plump, and iridescent.*

* The shape of a pearl of good quality depends upon the situation in
■which chance has placed the nucleus or seed. If it be between the
fleshy cloaks of the mollusk, the constant movements will give the
pearl a rounded form. If the pearl be deposited in the hinges, its
form will be compressed, and if it touches the bottom of the shell, so
that the creature is unable to move, it will adhere to the enamel
or take an eccentric form. There are pearls of different colours,
— white, rose-coloured, yellow, grey, blue, and completely black.
This variety of colour is derived from the nature of the soil on which
the mollusk is found, and to the gases and different elements which
float about in the circumambient element in which it is Ijorn, grows,
and dies.

64 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

That very evenings Jack and Junius returned to
New York, and after spending the night at an hotel,
went next morning early to call on Messrs. Tiffany
and Young and sell tne contents of their bag.
Those well-known tradesmen, after carefully ex-
amining the pearls, asked of our Americans whence
they had obtained them.

" Ah ! that's a secret, and yoi. have no concern
with it. The pearls are fresh-gathered. Look at
their weight and colour. Make a bargain with us
if you like, and tell us what they are worth, little
and big."

Messrs. Tiffany and Young, after consulting
together, offered a round sum of £160 for the lot.
The partners demanded double, but in the end
accepted £200, which they shared between them.

Next day, Jack and Junius, who had spent the
night in New York going from tavern to tavern,
and spending freely a portion of their gains, returned
to Milk Pond. They were resolved to make hay
Avbile the sun shone, and to gather another stock
for the jewellers. That day they were so lucky that
they collected seventy-four pearls, three-and-twenty
of which Avere very large. For these, they got £300.

"Don't like it," said Junius to himself; "I've
made a bad bargain with friend Minton. If he
could only drown himself some fine day I should
have it all to myself." This fatal thought took
root in his mind, and grew there so resolutely that

THE MILK POND OYSTERS. 65

the wretch determined to get rid of his partner.
From the conception of this odious project to its
execution there was but one step, and this he was
not long in taking. One evening, just about night-
fall, when Minton was about taking his last plunge,
Drake dashed in after him like a shark, seized him
by the neck, and never let go as long as he thought
there was any life in his body. Then returning to
the shore, he dressed himself quickly, packed up
the oysters which they had gathered in a sack, and
went to open them behind a rock about half a league
distant from the scene of his crime, in the certainty
that no one had been witness to his crime. When
the examination was concluded, the ruffian cast a
look around Milk Pond Bay, over which the moon
was shedding its pale rays, and started off for the
Quarantine to get on board the steamer for New
York.

Whilst the murderer was hastening from Milk
Pond, poor Minton was washed ashore by the
waves, when gradually the freshness of the night
revived him, and after a time his apparently inani-
mate body began to move, first of all an arm, and
then a leg. " Help ! help ! " he cried in a feeble
voice, when a fisherman came round Shrewsbury
Rock on his way to Borrax Creek to pull up his
nets.

" Hulloa ! " cried he, " what have we here ? A
corpse surely.^'

VOL. ir. F

66

SPORT IN NOETH AMEEICA.

" Help," repeated Minton.

" A very lively one at any rate/' quoth the fellow,
" Come, cheer up, friend. How did this happen ?
Take a sip of brandy," he added, offering Minton
a gourd, " and then tell me all about it."

Minton recounted to him his story, and the name
of his partner.

" Junius Drake ! " cried the man. " Why, he's
the biggest scoundrel in New Jersey. I know him
well for a thief and a wretch. Jingo ! but you've
had a narrow escape; and if you take my advice,
you'll lose no time in lodging your deposition before
the nearest justice. Do you feel sti'ong enough to
get to Morristown ? "

" Oh yes. Anything to have my revenge of that
wretch."

Minton found his way to the house of the nearest
justice, who received his deposition and issued a
warrant against the partner. Drake was soon found
by the New York police, dead drunk in a bar-room,
and standing liquor to a dozen scoundrels of his
own kidney. He was thrown into prison, and bail
was refused, though offered to a large amount. As
soon as this romance of the pearl-fishery became
known there was a regular pearl fever throughout
the States. From Rhode Island to the Carolinas,
oysters became all the rage, and heaps of the ostracea
were opened and thrown aside, shells and fish
tosrether, to rot in the sun and infect the air with

THE MILK POND OYSTERS. 67

a pestilential stench. This fever lasted for two
months. Some adventurers found pearls, but the
greater number lost their time and labour. Jack
Minton was the only one to make his fortune, for
Milk Pond Bay was apparently the only locality
favourable to the development of the jewel.*

* The liorny and calcareous matter (partaking equally of animal and
mineral characteristics) which the oysters apply to the walls of their
shells is known by the name of mother-of-pearl. The French call it
nacre, from the Arab word nahar — signifying a shell. When this
matter is very abundant it forms itself into little beads, which often
adhere to the interior of the valves, and are sometimes found lodged
within the fleshy folds of the mollusc. In the latter case, the pearls
are more spherical, and become enlarged every year by a fresh coat of
nacreous matter. They remain brilliant, translucent, and hard ; they
are what are called fine pearls. The nacre and the pearl are evidently
formed of the same substance, and only differ in the arrangement of
the layers. In the shell, the layers are horizontal, whilst in the pearl
they are curved and concentric. This form of structure attracts
luminous rays upon the surface so as to render it of a silvery bril-
liancy, at once dull and lustrous, very pleasant and beautiful to the
eye. A piece of the shell rounded artificially in imitation of a pearl
can never rival the brightness and beauty produced by the slow handi-
work of nature. The nacre owes the brilliance which is its chief
merit to the excessively thin layers of air which lie between the
calcareous and transparent leaves of which it is composed. The nature
of the pearl and its mode of formation lead one to suppose that these
precious concretions may be found in all shell-fish of which the interior
of the shell is made of nacre, whether they be oysters, limpets,
mussels, Venus's ear, &c., and, in fact, pearls are found in both the
common oyster and the mussel. The large fresh-water mussel which
is found in the mud of our rivers also produces pearls ; but the pearls
which are found in them usually resemble, both in shade and colour,
the interior of the shell in which it is found. The Ferine marine, a
species of mussel found in the Ked Sea, the Mediterranean, &c., and
which attains a great size, has a reddish interior to its shell, and pro-
duces rose-coloured pearls. This mussel furnishes also a greenish silk,
or fibre, which is called cyssus. The Sicilians and Calabrians spin it,

F 2

68 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

There can be little doubt that there are certain
marine insects which artistically perforate the shell
of the oyster, and produce that phenomenon which
results in a pearl.*

Jack Minton took his preserver into partnership,
and so managed Milk Pond as to make a fortune of
from £50,000 to £60,000. In due time, Drake ap-
peared before the Court of Session, and, in spite of
his plea of "Not guilty," was condemned to be
hanged forthwith. He expiated his crime at Morris-
town, in front of the prison door, and in the presence
of all the oyster-fishers of the country. Minton

and make stockings and gloves of it ; also a silky kind of cloth, of a
golden lustrous brown, shot with green. Specimens of the cyssus
were exhibited at the Paris Exposition of 1855.

* The formation of pearls is sometimes promoted by divers causes
which excite the mollusc to secrete an extraordinai-y quantity of the
nacreous deposit. Thus, when it is attacked by marine worms, which
pierce their way through the shell, the creature repels the invasion by
depositing a larger quantity of nacreous matter, and by that means
thickens its protective covering. It is probable that this excess of sub-
stance agglomerates in small particles, which grow dense and hard, and
assume more or less spherical forms, according as they may be depo-
sited against the shell itself, or among the membranous lobes of the
animal's flesh. These pearly formations increase in size every year, as
may be seen by the concentric layers of which they are composed. In
the same manner, a grain of sand, the ovum of a fish, or any other
foreign body entering the shell, and lodging itself in a place whence it
cannot be expelled, becomes covered by the secretion and thus forms
the nucleus of a pearl. In India and China, attempts have been made
to utilise this fact, and produce pearls of unusual size by introducing
pieces of shell or glass beads into the half-open valves of the oyster,
and even by touching the creature through the shell with a fine auger ;
but hitherto this method has not been attended by any very remarkable
results.

THE MILK POND OYSTERS. 69

desired that his Kfe might be spared, and even, it is
said, offered a bribe of £5,000 to effect his escape ;
but these attempts to restore to American society so
bright an ornament were happily in vain, and the
Milk Pond assassin died the death which he so
richly merited.

The pearl fishery is an industry of some import-
ance in the Gulf of Mexico, where it opens in the
month of February and closes in April. During
the season, the boats start in the evening before
the breeze, so as to arrive on the banks of Key
West Island, and the other Florida banks, about
sunrise. As soon as day appears, the divers begin
their work, and the fishing lasts until mid-day,
when the breeze softens, changes, and blows land-
wards, and everybody starts off to return to the
mainland as fast as oars and sails will carry them.
Directly they arrive in port, the cargoes of oysters
are landed without loss of time, to enable the boats
to return to the oyster-grounds as soon as possible.
Each of these pearl-fishery boats is manned by a
crew of twenty-one men ; viz., the captain, ten
rowers, and ten divers.

When they arrive upon the oyster- grounds, the
divers are divided into two companies of five men
each, who dive and rest alternately. Habituated to
this kind of work from their infancy, they will dive
to a depth of fifteen yards, taking with them a
large stone to help them down. This is of pyra-

70 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

midal form, and is pierced at the smaller end ty
a hole, through which a rope passes which fastens
it to the boat. When he dives, each man is pro-
vided with a bag or net to put the oysters in,
and this he grasps Avith the toes of his left foot,
seizing the rope which is fastened, to the stone with
those of his right foot ; then seizing the signal rope
in his right hand, and stopping up his nostrils with
his left, he plunges in, either straight or crouching
on his heels.

As soon as he gets to the bottom he hangs the
net around his neck and fills it with oysters as
fast as he can, and when that is done, he gives a
signal by the rope to his comrades on board, and is
pulled up speedily with his burden.

This work is so hard that, on regaining the boat,
the divers will often emit from the mouth, nose, and
ears water stained with blood; and nevertheless,
when the weather is favourable, they will repeat the
operation fifteen or twenty times ; if the weather
be unfavourable they cannot do so more than three
or four times. At the greatest depths (that is to
say, about fifteen yards) the most skilful divers
cannot remain below for more than thirty seconds.
The American divers, like those of the Indian Ocean,
never live to be old men. Their bodies become
covered with sores, through the internal rupture of
blood-vessels ; their sight fails them, and they are
very subject to apoplexy.

THE MILK POND OYSTERS. 71

The most terrible danger wliich the oyster divers
incur is that of meeting a shark ; and the signal that
one of those monsters is in sight causes among them
a panic as great as that which a hawk excites among
a covey of partrides. Sometimes, if the diver strikes
himself against a rock, his imagination will convert
it into the horrible jaws of a shark, and he will
return to the surface to communicate his alarm to
his companions.

When the flotilla of boats has unloaded its cargoes,
each proprietor takes his own lot, and spreads it
upon matweed in a hollow dug in the earth, and
leaves the temperature to act upon the mollusks,
which very soon putrefy. The pearls are then care-
fully searched out, and the putrefied matter is after-
wards carefully boiled, so that nothing of any value
shall escape. The pearls when extracted from the
shells are carefully washed and cleaned, and are
afterwards polished with an almost impalpable
powder made of the nacre itself. They are then
arranged in classes according to size, by being sifted
through copper sieves of various dimensions.

The next operation is drilling them for stringing.
The drilling tools are of different sizes, according to
the class of the pearls. They are fixed in rounded
wooden handles, and are worked by a bow.

A pearl fishing-boat, furnished with a good crew
of divers, can gather in a day from three thousand
to three thousand five hundred pearl oysters, and

SPOKT IN NORTH AMEEICA.

from four to five hundred oysters good for motlier-
of -pearl.

v.— TORCH-FISHING.

Undoubtedly one of the most important towns
in the American Union is Chicago, on the banks of
Lake Michigan. At the present time, its buildings
cover a superficies of two square leagues. The
commercial capital of the State of Illinois was,
fifteen years ago, nothing but a group of huts,
wooden houses, and the trunks of trees which had
been felled and heaped up together, covered with
moss and weeds, and grouped at the end of a bay
suflficiently spacious to provide accommodation for a
war-fleet. Thanks to emigration, the hamlet of
Chicago suddenly grew to be a village ; then it
assumed the proportions of a little town of twenty
thousand inhabitants; and at the census of 1861, it
was found that there were a hundred and twenty-
five thousand inhabitants in the town of Chicago. ,

During my stay in the State I found myself, in
the month of March, 184-6, staying in Chicago,
which I was visiting on business. Sitting at break-
fast one morning at the Great Eagle Mansion, where
I was putting up, I happened to be next a man

TORCH-FISHING. / 6

whose sun-burnt complexion, horny hands, black
clothes too large for his body, varnished boots soiled
with mud and in disorder, and above all the hat
cocked on one side (although we were sitting at
table), proved him to be one who was quite ignorant
of the usages of the world. A characteristic trait
confirmed me in the idea that this man was even a
stranger to American civilisation ; for, turning to me,
without the slightest introduction or preface, he said
to me, with a strong nasal twang, "You ain't an
American, sir, I guess ? "

"No, sir; nor you either, I should suppose."

" You're right, sir. I'm Canadian, and one of
your sort, for I guess you're a Frenchman."

I confessed that I was, and asked to be informed
to whom it was I was speaking, at the same time
acquainting him with my name, profession, and
age.

" Simon Bergeron, sir, at your service ; farmer,
fur-dealer, and hunter, — and what's more, one of the
best shots in Illinois or Canada."

" Then, good M. Bergeron, we are brothers in
St. Hubert, and I am very happy to shake you by
the hand."

" Ah ! so you also are a sportsman ? I should
never have guessed that," quoth my new friend, re-
garding me with a scrutinising air, as if to ask how
it was possible for a man with such a fair complexion,
slim figure, and with a pair of spectacles on his nose.

74 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

to have any pretensions to being a sportsman. I
understood the look, and hastened to assure the
Canadian Nimrod that I had been, from my youth
upwards, an enthusiast iu all sporting matters, and
that among my occupations in the States I included
sport and adventurous expeditions.

" Well then," said he, " if you are as fond of it
as you seem to be, I can put some capital sport in
your Avay.^^

" Of what kind ? "
. " I must answer you by a question : have you
ever tasted maple sugar? If not, here are some
samples, and you may try them."

I thanked my new friend, and assured him that I
was perfectly well acquainted with the article which
he had mentioned, which was the sap of the Canadian
maple.

" The great maple forests, where the sugar is
gathered, are not only in Upper and Lower Canada,
but also in the States of Michigan, Maine, New
Hampshire, Wisconsin, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and
Illinois, The finest plantations, indeed, are in the
last-mentioned State, and the sugar harvest there
is the most important. If you would like to see
it with your own eyes, I will be your guide, and
you may rely upon it you could not have a better
one.''

" I must confess to you frankly, my good friend,"
I replied, " that in spite of the pleasure it would

TORCH-FISHING. 70

give me to accompany you, the attractions of a
maple forest are not sufficiently great to tempt me
from the fire-side at this time of the year."

" But, my good sir, what would you say if I told
you that these maple forests are full of bears, 'coons,
'possums, squirrels, coyotes, deer, and gelinottes ?
And, to wind up, I can promise you good sport in
the way of torch-fishing."

" That would be quite another matter."

" What would you say if I promised you the best
sport in the world ? And you will be well housed in
the comfortable forest huts, where you'll always
find a capital bed of soft sweet heather, plenty
of good food and drink, a bright fire, and a warm
welcome."

''My good sir, what you offer is so delightful,
that I am afraid I shall give way to the tempter."

" Make up your mind at once, then, and be ready
to start with me to-morrow morning. I came here
to sell our whole crop to a merchant, and as I must
be back again at Wyaconda Bottom, I shall take off
to-morrow this Dissenting parson's dress — which
you must put on or the Yankees won't trust you —
put on my fur clothes and big boots, and off I go.
Will you go with me ? I shall be back again to
Chicago in a few days, and will bring you back safe
and sound."

" Be it so j your invitation is so kind that I have
no choice but to accept. The only drawback is that

'b SPORT IN NOETH AMERICA.

I don't happen to have either a gun or any kind of
sporting tackle with me."

" Never mind that ; we shall find all we require
in the Sugar Camp at Wyaconda Bottom. So good
day for the present. We shall meet again at dinner,
and then we can settle all the rest."

My preparations were soon made, for I had only
to pack up some linen, a second pair of boots, and
a change of clothes, to be used in case of accident.
This done, I walked out to while away the hours
between breakfast and dinner, examining the port of
Chicago, the most astonishing of ail on the great
North American Lakes.

In the afternoon, I found my friend at table, and
directly he saw me he cried out, " Hulloa ! Will it
be all the same to you if we start to-night ? In-
stead of wasting the night in bed, you can stow
yourself in the corner of a buggy belonging to one
of my friends, and be at Peoria to-morrow morning
in time for the pig market. If we take advantage
of this and get there, we shall easily find a waggon
to take us on to Wyaconda, which is only five miles
off, and near the banks of the river."

"To-night or to-morrow morning; it's all the
same to me," I replied ; " only let us dine first, for
I'm really as hungry as a hunter."

" Make haste, then, for my friend is waiting our
reply impatiently."

We soon bolted our dinner, and washed it down

TORCH-FISHING. 7 /

•witli a good bottle of sherry. That clone, Bergeron
and I bid farewell to the " Great Eagle. '^

The buggy, in which Bergeron's friend offered us
places, was a kind of light chaise, lined with furs,
and shut up like a little box. We got inside, and
the owner mounted the box to drive a pair of capital
little horses of Arab blood, which were harnessed in
tandem to this novel style of vehicle. It was four
o'clock in the evening when we left Chicago, chat-
ting of all manner of things, smoking, arguing, and
determined to put on a good face against everything,
even the shades of night, which were now beginning
to close round us. The country through which we
were passing was anything but picturesque. On
every side were fields covered with withered herbage
and dead leaves. Nature seemed dead, and wore a
very different appearance from that which she should
wear when you visit the American prairie. When
two years afterwards I traversed the same line of
country, I could scarcely recognise the places which
I had passed in 1846. This, however, was the month
of February, when the soil was still exposed to all
the rigours of the winter, and as the sun sank behind
the horizon, it shed its pale rays through a forest of
dead branches.

It was a bad night, and our slumbers were fre-
quently broken by the cries of our driver, who
excited his horses with voice and gesture. At day-
break we entered Peoria, and two hours afterwards

/8 SPOET IN NORTH AMERICA.

were mounted on a couple of good nags, and on our
way to Wyaconda Bottom.

The road lay through vast forests of maple trees
and oaks ; but as we advanced, the oaks became
sparser, and at last nothing but maples could be
seen, as erect as the letter I, slim as poplars, and of
different sizes, from the circumference of a mast to
that of a cask. The larger ones, however, were
greatly in the minority. My companion informed
me, as we rode on, that Wyaconda Bottom, like the
greater part of the maple forests of the neighbour-
hood, was held upon a lease transmitting it from
father to son, and that it was he who had it worked
for his own benefit.

In a short time, we arrived at the Sugar Camp,
the huts of which were built round a bubbling
spring, and along the banks of a stream, sheltered
by superb magnolias, which were already opening
their Avhite flowers without waiting for their emerald
leaves. In the centre of this extemporised hamlet,
a large fire-place had been built with three enormous
stones, and this served to keep off the wild beasts
during the night. Two men mounted guard day
and night over the casks containing the sugar juice,
for the maple sap is so attractive to the beasts of
prey, that they will attack it at almost any risk.
Two shots fired from a gun gave the signal of our
arrival in camp, and two victims fell upon the
ground. They were enormous opossums, that had

TORCH-FISHING. 79

been watcliing from a neighbouring tree-top the
moment when the sentinels turned their backs^ to
get a good fill of the saccharine juice. "There's a
specimen of what's to come/' cried Mr. Bergeron,
as the workmen came forward to welcome their
master.

" Well, boys, well ! " said he, " and how goes the
crop ? "

" Oh ! yes, sir ; very well. The barrels are fill-
ing, and before the week's out we must have them
emptied."

" We'll see to this. Is breakfast over ? "

" Not yet, sir."

" Very well ; then let something be got ready, for
I'm devilish hungry, and so's my friend here, I dare
say." At these orders, they laid upon four rough
planks, mounted upon as many oak logs, a smoked
bear's ham, stewed opossum, hot corn-cakes, and a
jug of maple juice, mixed with a little rum, and
really very pleasant tipple. Bread made of barley
and wheat flour mixed completed the repast, to
which we did ample justice.

As soon as this was over, Mr. Bergeron invited
me to accompany him into the forest, and examine
the process of gathering the harvest of maple sugar.
A brief summary of what I learnt about the sylvan
sugar crop which enriches Illinois will not be out of
place.

The sugar maple of the States is the tree which

80 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

botanists name the Acer saccharinum. The method
of manufacturing the sugar is extremely simple, and
the following is the plan adopted by Mr. Bergeron's
men to extract the juice. Furnished with small
augers, a number of wooden buckets, and little tubes
made of elder or sugar cane, and occasionally of tin,
they explore the forest, selecting the best trees.
When they have found a good one, they pierce the
bark at about a yard from the ground, and introduce
a tube, the other end of which is placed in one of the
little buckets. Care is taken to pierce the tree in an
upward direction, and not to penetrate more than
half an inch into the sap-wood. The American cul-
tivators declare that by this means a more abundant
flow of sap is obtained, and they never omit to bore
the holes on the side of the tree towards the south,
which also has a tendency to increase the supply.

The maple sap falls at first in silver drops, and
then in a thin stream, which afterwards swells into
a current. As soon as a bucket is filled, it is replaced
by another, and the whole is collected into large
cauldrons, where the evaporation and crystallisation
of the sugar is completed. The boiler is hung from
two forked beams firmly fixed in the earth, and with
a strong trunk of a tree laid across them, from which
the boiler depends. A quick fire is kept up beneath,
and the juice soon thickens into a syrup. After it
has been boiling half an hour, it is taken off the
fire and allowed to cool, when the residue is strained

TORCH-FISHING. 81

through woollen blankets and set in moulds shaped
like a star, in which it becomes crystallised and fit
for consumption.

Maple sugar is of a reddish brown colour, like
very coarse brown cane sugar, and has nearly the
same flavour. It imparts a flavour rather agreeable
than otherwise to the decoction of the Mocha bean.
Mr. Bergeron informed me that a maple tree will
yield from three to four pounds of sugar every
season, and that nearly eleven millions of pounds *
are gathered annually in the State of New York
alone. In Canada f it is one of the most valuable
crops of the country, and produces, as I am in-
formed, a yearly total amounting to about £4,000,000
sterling. To these details, it may be added that the
same trees will yield a crop for twenty consecutive
years, without weakening the vigour of their vegeta-
tion. There is only one precaution to take, never to
perforate the maple tree in the same place, and then
a new shoot is formed so that the wound disappears
in a few weeks. Managed properly, a very large tree
can furnish rather more than twenty-two gallons of
sap, which will produce about seven pounds and a
half of sugar.

* According to the statistics of 1850, the produce of the maple
forests in the States of the Union was estimated at from fifty to sixty
millions of pounds weight.

+ At the Paris Exposition of 1855, among the articles sent from
Canada, were loaves of maple sugar, the saccharine liavour of which
was highly commended by the members of the jury.

VOL. ir. G

82 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

" My good friend," said Mr. Bergeron^ witli all the
enthusiasm of a man of business, " I should like you
to visit one of our places in Canada, especially
Chateau Guy, Napierville, or Beauharnais. Then
you'd begin to understand the importance of maple
sugar. I'm told that they are cultivating the maple
now both in France and Germany, and I've heard
that in Bohemia, the Prince of Arenberg, whose
ancestors have planted forests of maple, gathers
every year from twelve to fourteen thousand hun-
dred-weights of sugar."

We talked all day about sugar and the methods of
making it, and then (purely by way of parenthesis)
I introduced the subject of sporting, which was my
only object in visiting Wyaconda Bottom.

" Oh, yes ! "Wait till evening, and when night
comes on you'll see something new that will astonish
you. You shall judge for yourself. Be patient;
wait for sunset, and I'll find a very good gun, and
so on."

About nightfall, when all the workmen were round
the fire and eating their supper, we heard some
strange noises in the maple plantation. At first
they resembled the swell of the sea at a distance,
and then growing more distinct as they came nearer,
they were like the roaring and squealing of wild
beasts. For all reply to my questions, my host
pointed out a black object on the top of a high
branch, about as large as a magpie's nest.

TOECH-FISHING. 83

" Wluit is that V cried I.

"A 'coon/' he replied, '^ perched right within
reach of your rifle/'

'' Do you think so ?"

" Certain. Just you try."

I fired, and the creature fell within a few feet of
us. The bullet had broken his shoulder blade and
pierced the heart. It was a shot worthy of a better
game. HowcA^er, there was no lack of sport, for
the maple-juice attracted them from all parts, and
squii'rels, opossums, racoons, and other four-footed
thieves swarmed around ; but their bright eyes were
scarcely visible in the darkness when down they
came, sometimes falling to my gun and sometimes
to those of the men who were watching the sugar
tubs. This queer sport went on far into the night,
until at last I grew tired of it, and went peaceably
to sleep side by side with ray host. Next morning,
on counting up the spoil, we found that we had
bagged fourteen racoons, six opossums, and a cub
bear. The last fell a victim just about daybreak to
a lucky shot from one of the watchmen.

" Well," said my host, next morning at breakfast,
"and how have you been pleased with your sport
last night?"

" Splendid," I replied; " I wish I had nothing to
do but set up my tent here with you and never die."

"Well, well," he replied, "many thanks for the
preference ; but I have promised to show you some

a 2

84 SPOET IN NORTH AMERICA.

fishing by torchlight, and I must keep my word.
I'll give orders to my foreman to get everything in
readiness for to-night, and after supper and some
sport like that of last night (let us hope even better)
I'll show you something that you won't easily forget."

" Man}'- thanks ; but what fish are we going after,
and where is your water?"

'' About half a mile from here is a large stream
called Dyots, which runs into the Little Rock river.
Dyots is full of fish — they swarm like frogs in a
marsh — salmon trout, and even salmon of immense
size. About a week ago, my favourite nigger Sam-
son, one of the cleverest fishermen about, brought me
a salmon of fifty pounds' weight, and I never eat a
better fish, more pinky and fiavorous. If we have
luck to-night, you'll admit there's no better sport in
the world."

During the day, I explored the neighbourhood of
the Sugar Camp, accompanied by Mr. Bergeron, who
took a pleasure in showing me the most picturesque
places, pointing out the tracks of game, starting a
hare from her form, flushing a brace of quails from
the side of a path, and starting a buck with the
sound of our footsteps, or a starling perched on the
branch of a tree. Ten times during the course of
our walk I fired at game which we came upon quite
by chance, and I had the satisfaction of contributing
to my host's larder a grey hare, five quails, and a
large plump turkey. As for the buck, he was hit.

TORCH-FISHING. 85

but not mortally, and he was found two days after-
wards about half a mile off, picked clean by the wild
beasts. The antlers and skeleton were all that
remained of him.

At six o'clock, supper was served, and I enjoyed it
all the more from the fact that I had provided the
principal dish myself. As we chatted away night
came on, and then Mr. Bergeron and I mounted on
horseback, leaving the men in camp to enjoy their
sport ATith the 'possums, &c. I took with me a
capital gun by Manton, slung by a strap across the
shoulders, in case of an attack by a bear or panther,
and in so doing I followed the example of my host,
who carried behind him a beautiful rifle, whose
excellent qualities and precision he had frequently
proved to me. On starting, our horses broke into a
canter through the windings of the forest, and
seemed to know their way to Dyots perfectly well.
In a short time, we could see, in spite of the dark-
ness, the liquid boundary which divided the saccha-
rine territory of my new friend.

" Hulloa ! " cried out Mr. Bergeron, making a
speaking-trumpet of his hands, as soon as we reached
the banks of the stream.

" Hi ! Hi ! Hi ! " came the answer, from three
separate quarters.

" Come to order ! " he vociferated, and in a mo-
ment there was a sound of oars approaching the
bank, and directly afterwards a man came up to tell

86 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

US that all was in readiness to begin as soon as we
pleased.

Before night had come on^ a large net had been
stretched across a part of the river which narrowed
between some rocks. This was in order that the
trout and salmon that escaped the perils of the
torch-fishing should fall into the pockets of the
seine, which was made like the esparto nets which
the Marseilles fishermen use for the tunny fishing.

"All right/' quoth Mr. Bergeron, "let us tether
up the horses and start."

Samson, the fisherman, whose skill had been so
highly spoken of by Mr. Bergeron, had made all the
arrangements for the fishing party, and certainly I
never witnessed such a spectacle. In our boat were
my host and self, with five or six harpoons or spears.
To the shaft of each of these was fastened a fine
rope-yarn cord, as supple as a hank of silk. Mr.
Bergeron then explained to me what we were going
to do, and how it was to be done.

As soon as we had quietly rowed into the middle
of the river, two negroes who had been posted on a
small promontory which jutted out into the stream,
lit a fire of fir cones, faggots, and dead wood, so as
to produce a great deal of flame and very little
smoke. At the bottom of our boat were heaped up
about twenty torches, made of pine twigs twisted
together and coated with resin. Whilst my host
was explaining all this to me, Samson took up a

TORCH-FISHING. 87

basket filled with maple-sugar waste, and tlu'ew it
by handfuls into the stream. There is no better
ground bait for the fish. I did not know that at
the time, but I soon came to understand the value
of those honied flakes, and the importance of the
part they play in a nocturnal fishing expedition on
the Dyots.

We ghded on silently over the water, and when
we reached the middle, remained motionless, waiting
for the signal to commence operations. In the
silence which pervaded the place, we could hear
distinctly the voices, the cries, and the shouts of
laughter of the people at the Sugar Camp. Pre-
sently, however, came a whistle through the air, and
a streak of flame lit up the scene.

" That's the signal," whispered Mr. Bergeron ;
" the men will light the torches and we must each
take a harpoon, taking care tp fasten the rope to the
wrist. I go to the prow and you to the boat^s stern.
Once there, look out, and take care not to shake the
boat, for the slightest movement stirs up the water."

I followed up his directions to the letter ; for it is
certain that, however little notice fish may take of
the talking or singing of any body on the bank,
the mere shock of a footstep will scatter far and wide
in great alarm every fish that happens to be in the
neighbourhood.

Obedient to my host's orders, Samson and Jupiter
— a nigger whom my host familiarly nick-named

88 SPOET m NORTH AMERICA.

Jovis — lighted our two torches, and, following Mr.
Bergeron's example, I posted myself at the stern of
the boat. Leaning slightly forward and grasping
my harpoon by the handle, I awaited the moment of
action.

At first, dazzled by the reflection of the flame, I
could perceive nothing whatever, for the surface of
the water was not even disturbed by the motion of
the boat. Presently, silvery flashes, phosphorescent
sparks, began to be perceptible; these were little
fishes attracted by the unexpected return of the
light (which they mistook for that of day), and
sporting about with entire faith in the fictitious sun.
Soon the gleam of light became larger and larger,
forms were seen moving about ; these were the
larger fishes, which advanced slowly, also attracted
by curiosity. Gaining confidence from the example
of the small fry, they swam forwards into the light,
leaping and circling about, as if determined to have
a good view of what was going on. In a short time,
they were all swimming about near the surface very
slowly, and moving their fins with a scarcely per-
ceptible motion.

Directly under me, at about four yards' distance
from the boat, I saw an enormous salmon of most
desirable weight, and in a moment my spear whistled
through the air^plunging into the Dyots and spearing
the prey, which struggled in vain to free itself from
its hold. The barbed iron was, however, too sure :

TORCH-FISHING. 89

the fish reddened the water with its blood, and with
the aid of one of the torch-bearers, I hoisted him on
board, whilst Mr. Bergeron at the same moment
landed the finest trout I saw in my life, whether in
Europe or the United States. Thus we went on,
my Canadian friend and myself, spearing about to
right and left ; but I must confess that all my at-
tempts were not equally successful, for I had none
of that certainty and skill which practice alone can
give. Sometimes the spear went too far and missed
the fish, and at others the fish managed to dodge me.
Consequently there were alternations of siiccess and
failure, which betrayed themselves by exclamations
of joy and oaths more deep than loud. Once, when
I had thrown the spear with greater than common
effort at the back of a gigantic fish, which was
swimming proudly by on the larboard side of the
boat, my foot slipped, and in I went a header, equally
to ray surprise and alarm.

To rise again to the surface and stretch forth an
arm towards Samson that he might extricate me
from the danger, was the work of an instant ; but
when I had got all but within reach, and hands were
about to grasp the friendly gaff which was to pull
me on board, to my great astonishment I felt a tug
at my other arm which drew me the other way. I
then bethought me of the cord which was fastened
to my spear; it was the fish transfixed upon its
barb that was dragging me after it. Fortunately,

90 SPOKT IN NOETH AMEEICA.

Samson pulled a couple of strokes with tlie oars,
and seized me with a potent and a friendly grasp. It
was high time, for I was not a good swimmer, and
in a few minutes more should have found myself a
passenger on Charon's boat, with nothing but a fish
to offer him for my passage-money ; unless, indeed,
he would have agreed to accept my purse containing
some thirty dollars of United States paper, which
I am afraid would have scarcely satisfied him.
Thanks, • however, to Samson, I was rescued, and
lost no time in putting on the suit of dry clothes
which I had provided myself with in case of
accident.

This mishap was soon over and quite as soon for-
gotten, for feeling the necessity of a little additional
exercise to make me warm, I set to work again with
redoubled zeal; and I am happy to say that my
nocturnal cold bath had neither then, nor at a
subsequent time, any ill effects. In this fashion,
Mr. Bergeron and I continued fishing as long as the
supply of torches lasted ; but about eleven o'clock
the moon rose, and it was useless to continue our
harpoon sport. The time had now arrived for draw-
ing the net which had been placed across the
channel of the Dyots. Obedient to a signal given
by Samson and Mr, Bergeron, another boat quitted
the shore and came to join us. It was manned by
men from the sugar camp, who, imitating ourselves,
rowed onwards, beating the water with gaffs and

TORCH-FISHING. 91

oars, as fiercely as if Xerxes were flagellating au-
other Hellespont. Whilst flogging the water in this
manner, we rowed onwards towards the net, and
could perceive by the light of the fire upon the rock
the pieces of cork which were there to keep the net
floating dancing in a very significant manner. Four
stout fellows stood, two on either bank of the Dyots,
holding the ropes of the net, and ready to draw it
upon a signal from Mr. Bergeron.

" We shall have a splendid haul,^^ cried he ; " look
there ! Don't it look like a sail bellied out with
the wind, and ready to burst. Now, boys ; one, two,
three."

The four men dragged at the ropes at the word of
command, and presently the net made its appear-
ance at the surface fall of fi.sh. There they were
struggling and writhing about ; for all the world like
''fish out of water;" trout of all sizes, and salmon,
some hanging to the net by their gills, and others in
the purses of the net. In truth it was a " mira-
culous draught ; " for on counting the take we
found that there were a hundred and twenty-two
trouts of different sizes and fifty-seven salmon,
varying from five or six and twenty pounds to seven
or eight. The total weight of the catch was over
seven hundred and fifty pounds.

By this time, the moon was shining in full splen-
dour, and the brilliant goddess lighted us on our
way back to the Sugar Camp, where Mr. Bergeron

92 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

and I arrived about two o'clock in the morning
thoroughly fagged, but delighted with our torch-
fishing expedition — I especially, who had never taken
part in anything of the kind before.

The reader will easily believe that the remainder
of the time I spent at Wyaconda Bottom slipped
by very pleasantly. Every morning, I started off
upon some shooting or fishing expedition, some-
times alone, but usually accompanied by my host;
and in the evening we resumed the strange sport
of shooting the game which came to seek us, with-
out ever stirring from the side of the fire.

" Well," said Mr. Bergeron," when he had
brought me back to Chicago, "youVe not been
too much bored at my forest hut.'^

'' By no means,'' was my reply, " and I have to
return my best thanks for your hospitality .''

" Nay, 'tis I who am obliged to you, my good
friend, for you've helped to kill a great many of
those confounded brutes who eat up so much of my
sugar ; besides, I don't mind telling you, my friend,
that the harvest has not been a bad one, and the
result in cash not to be despised."

" Would it be a rude question to ask what may
be the average produce of the crop at Wyaconda
Bottom ? "

" Certainly not ; I make no secret of it. That
farm, which don't cost a penny to keep, brings me
in a clear income of about 1,500/., and that without

A STORY OF SIX SHAEKS. 93

counting the furs and skins of every kind which I sell
to the American Fur Association, and the fish from the
Dyots, which I have salted and smoked for my men.
And now, whenever it suits you to come and pay
me another visit, I shall be much obliged to you for
the kindness/'

I am almost ashamed to confess my neglect, but
although this was sixteen years ago, I have neither
seen nor heard anything more of the farmer of
Wyaconda Bottom.

VI.— A STORY OF SIX SHARKS.

There is an old story that Marshal Saxe's cook
once dressed his top boots with a sharp sauce,
and made them so good that he eat them. This
may have been true ; but I would have defied him
to do the same with a shark.

Unless you happen to be a South Carolinan or a
Floridan nigger, you will agree with me that nothing
can be more detestable than a steak of this voracious
Squalus, even though Careme himself, Chevet, Potel,
or Chabot did their best to serve it with a sauce
made of the purest Aix olive oil, and the best tarra-
gon Moutarde de Maille. *

* I have been assured that the meat of young sharks found in the

94 SPOKT IN NORTH AMEEICA.

And yet, although every sailor whose palate has
not been destroyed by the use of rum and tobacco,
will agree with me in this, — a school of mackerel or
of herrings, or a shoal of dories, does not cause half
so much delight among the crew as the appearance
of a single shark. I may add, as some explanation
of this, that this monster causes among the sailors a
feeling of hatred not difficult to understand, for
they have all sworn pitiless war and no quarter
against the brute. Some authors have seriously
maintained that the French name of the brute
{requin) is derived from requiem ; but others
maintain that the word is of Scandinavian origin,
which seems much more rational. In Norway, the
shark is called Kaakierring (a dog that snaps and
bites). My readers must choose for themselves
which of the two derivations they prefer. But
whatever the derivation of the name may be, the
sailors have no need to decide, before" conceiving the
most intense hatred against that hideous compa-
nion, who, like those birds of prey which attend
armies on the march to feed upon the corpses which
are left behind, follows in the Avake of ships in
the hope that chance and the sea may bring a
human meal within its reach. Besides this, the
shark does not turn up its nose at any odds-and-

belly of the mother is highly esteemed by amateurs, hut I must con-
fess that the idea of eating them under such circumstances is reijag-
naiit to me.

A STORY OF SIX SHAEKS. 95

ends that the cook or crew may throw over the
vessel's side.

A reverend Jesuit, Father Labat, who seems to
have lived on terms of intimacy with the sharks of
his time, declares that sharks most decidedly prefer
black men's flesh to that of the white, because it is
more savoury and highly flavoured. He also adds
that the creature gives a preference to Englishmen
over Frenchmen. For all this, I should not advise
a Frenchman to trust implicitly to this preference
of the sharks. It may be that the sharks of the
nineteenth century have not preserved the manners
and customs of their ancestors.

One day, I happened to be on a voyage from New
York to Boston, in a sloop manned by a jolly crew.
We started from the Battery Quay at six o'clock
in the evening, so as to take advantage of the flood
tide to get up the East Biver, pass Hellgate, and
so into the open sea by Long Island. At dawn,
we found ourselves at sea, sailing in the direction
of Newport, when the look-out man gave notice of a
shark. On this, a sailor seized an enormous hook,
strong enough to hold a shark, baited it with a lump
of pork, and threw it in the sea. The sailors, full
of delight and expectation, called out to each other,
" Hey, lads ! come and have a look. Here, you
Carroll, Neal, Beuben, and Sam ! Won't we give
him a breakfast ? "

"D — n him ; he's as big as Jonah's whale.""

96 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

" Lord ! what a gullet ! "

" Gently, my lad ! Don't sliove so ; there's room
for everybody."

" There now, he's on his back. He'll bite. No,
he's only sniffed at it."

" Well, he's had a taste and liked it. There he
is again."

" Belay there, and don't shove. One would think
some one had stolen your grog. Look out, my sea
dogs, and be ready to haul,"

A deep silence followed this order of the bo'sen,
who superintended the operation. Ten of the crew
crowded to the side, ready to haul in the line as
soon as the common enemy was fairly caught.
One held an axe, and another a rope made like a
lasso, with a slip-knot to pass over the fins of the
monster; whilst a third rove the line through a
pulley, and the rest passed it from hand to hand.
As for the captain, the mate, and your humble
servant, we stood in the shrouds, leaning over the
side, and looking on with curiosity at the catch,
whilst three passengers, and a gentleman from
Massachusetts looked out at the port-holes, and
took the greatest interest in the capture of the
shark.

Whilst this was passing, the shark, with better
luck than management, had bitten at the hook with-
out being caught. The excitement now became in-
tense, but not a word was spoken by any one but the

A STORY OF SIX SHARKS. 97

bo'sen, who cried : " Never fear, he'll have it yet ;
he's got all sails set, and ^11 take the hook after he's
eaten the bacon. Hup ! there he is ;" and in fact,
the monster, whose greediness had got the better of
his prudence^ had snapped at the hook and delivered
liimself up with fins and tail bound to the crew of
the good sloop Triumphant. At this, a general huzza
was raised, and the crew was in an ecstasy of delight.
He was hauled out of the sea, and the top-man who
held the slip-knot passed it with marvellous dexterity
over the body of the shark, whose terrific struggles
shook the Avhole ship, and excited general hilarity.
After many efforts, they succeeded in getting him
over a port on the main deck, and he fell heavily in
the midst of the spectators who made way for him
for fear of being struck by his powerful tail. The
sailor who had the hatchet then gave him a powerful
blow in the belly, and put it out of his power to do
any further mischief. This shark was seventeen feet
long, and was justly reckoned a very large specimen ;
for, according to the captain and sailors, sharks very
rarely measure more than from twelve to fifteen
feet. All beyond that are exceptional. The M^eight
of our prize was about two thousand pounds, and
when the last struggles were over I could examine it
at leisure, study it, count the number of its teeth,
and the conformation of its jaws and fins. Then it
was that I understood how the shark would be the
scourge of the seas if nature had enabled it to

VOL. II. II

98 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

satisfy its voracity at its pleasure. The fearful
opening of the jaws, armed with hooks as sharp as
needles, is placed a foot below the muzzle, and with
the help of a stick I managed to prize open the vice
which death had tightened, so as to examine the
interior form of that inhospitable receptacle for any
living thing. I managejd this with great caution,
for I recollected an old college friend of my father
telling me that his father, a captain from Marseilles,
having one day been so imprudent as to put his hand
into the jaw of a shark that had been cut to pieces,
had so lacerated the skin and flesh that he was
obliged to have his arm amputated at the wrist.

God, whose works are all good, has compelled the
shark to push his prey before him, so that he must
turn over and seize it lying on his back. This
necessity has an advantage, inasmuch as it gives a
chance of escape to the fish or man who is being
pursued, if they can only preserve their presence of
mind in the time of danger.

The jaws of the captured shark were furnished
with six rows of teeth, so arranged, that no sooner
is one lost, than immediately another is pushed
forAvard to replace it. These teeth are very hard,
triangular, sharp, and serrated at the edges lilc^ a
saw. Those in the first row protrude forward,
whilst the second and third rows are turned inv.ra,rds.
The eyes, which are very small, and quite round, are
placed on each side of the head, and seem only fitted

A STORY OF SIX SH4RKS. 99

for following a prey wbich understands how to
defend itself, and attempt to escape its foe. But
what are more terrible than even the teeth are the
tail and fins of the shark, which are very long, and
firm and elastic as a bar of steel.

The crew of the Triumphant, growing out of
patience with my very prolonged inspection of their
game, were beginning to grumble, when I became
aware of the presence of the cook armed with a long
knife. This he plunged into the still palpitating
body of the fish, and began cutting it to pieces, as
if it had been a sheep or a calf. His skin was
shared among the sailors, for it has a certain value
with cabinet-makers and turners, to polish wood
withal. The heart torn from this shark palpitated
for hours after the creature had been cut up, and
even three days afterwards convulsive movements
were perceptible. I should not have believed
this if I had not seen it with my own eyes. The
head was carefully cut ofi", and placed in a bucket,
in which it was steeped, preparatory to its being
cooked. This tid-bit is usually offered to the
captain ; but this time it was destined for me, and
I was also informed by the mate that I was
expected to "wash down my head^^ in the orthodox
fashion.

The shark's flesh was served up as a stew, and
in a fricassee ; it was fried, served en matelote, and
with all kinds of sauces. I tasted them all re-

300 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

ligiously ; but I must confess that I could not bring
myself to like it anyhow. Even the sailors fought
very shy of it I noticed, and some of them confessed
to me in confidence that ^vhat had the greatest
tendency to make them partial to a dinner of
shark's flesh, was the double allowance of liquor
which they received upon every occasion of catching
a shark. Moreover, it was a slight change from the
eternal salt pork of the ship's bill of fare.

The head of the Newport shark figured a long
time in my bachelor's crib at New York; but before
leaving for Europe, I made a present of it to my
friend Russell, one of the best advocates there, and
one of the brightest ornaments of the American
bar, and I am sure that he still has it in remem-
brance of me.*

There are three kinds of sharks. The commonest
is the grey, and there is the blue shark, and the
hammer-headed shark. The least dangerous is the
blue shark, and yet I had an awkward adventure
with these brutes on the shores of New Jersey,
where I was once spending the summer.

A friend and I had sailed out with an experienced
fisherman of the coast to enjoy the sport of fishing
for blue fish — a kind of catfish of very delicate
flavour and as abundant on the American coasts

* In the middle ages, the jewellers used to mount sharks' teeth in
silver, as simple country fulk believed them to be charms against fever.
The niggers in North America have kept up the custom ; only they
mount them in gold.

A STORY OF SIX SHARKS. 101

as sardines are in the Bay of Biscay, or sprats ia
the North Sea. In spite of all our efiForts, the fish
would not bite, although we tried bait of all kinds ;
and yet we could feel constantly that violent con-
vulsion of the line which announces the presence
of a fish, but which we vainly sought to account
for. We changed our place twenty times ; but still
the same thing. At last the captain of the boat
seized me by the arm, and said (with as tragic an air
as if he were acting in a melodrama), " Look down
there!"

" "What is it ? A kraken, or a sea-serpent ? "

"No — and yet it is something quite as bad."

"What?"

" A shark."

"All the better," said I; "the brute shall pay
for all the blue fishes he has frightened away."

My companion, who was a little bit of a Miss
Molly, objected that we had nothing to do with
shark-fishing, and that we should be running a risk
without any advantage.

"PU answer for everything," chimed in the
fisherman. "Here is a line that will do very well;
only instead of trying to pull him on board, which
might upset the boat, we must drown him."

" Drown him ! And how ? "

" You shall see."

Everybody knows the voracity of the shark. He
will SM'allow whatever is thrown at him. This one

102 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

was evidently ready for anything, for he rose to the
surface of the water, and sported about like a tunny
fish or bouito. My friend turned pale with fright,
for the monster was from twenty to twenty-two feet
long. In a very short time, he had swallowed a
bushel of cabbage stumps, carrot tops, and pea-
shucks, Avhich we had brought out as bait for the
blue fishj and we were at a loss how to manage him,
when our fisherman caught hold of a little bottle
which had contained a pint of brandy, and threw it
in the water, when it was swallowed up in a moment
by the shark.

" Ha ! Ha ! " cried he, " the rascal has a good
appetite, and we'll soon have him. Here's a bit
of ham, gentlemen. Can you spare this for the
shark?"

" By all means."

On this, the fisherman baited a large hook, which
was furnished with a strong wire snood, to the lump
of Cincinnati ham, and threw it out fastened to an
inch and a quarter rope. He let the Hne pay out,
so as to bring the ham close to the nose of the
shark, but, contrary to that voracious habit which
makes them snap up everything, our friend turned
over and over and smelt at the hook without snap-
ping at it. At last, however, he made up his mind,
turned himself upon his back, or rather upon his
side, and the hook disappeared down his throat.
At the same moment, our fisherman gave a violent

A STOFvY OF SIX SHARKS. 103

tug at the line^ so as to fix the barb in the jaws of
the monster. The shock which followed this pull
assured us that our game was firmly hooked^ and
we gave utterance to a cheer, which our shark
responded to by a violent blow of the tail. Then
began the difiiculty of the whole operation. The
line had to be so managed as never to be allowed
either to slacken or to become taut, and the fisher-
man played the shark so well, that in a quarter
of an hour the monster was wearied out, and could
be drawn to the side of the boat, motionless, by
the assistance of a gaff. When there, a single blow
of his tail could have smashed in our boat, but he
hadn't it in him, and after a brief and ineffectual
struggle the fisherman passed a slip-knot over his
gills, took him in tow, and made all-sail towards
land.

As soon as we got ashore, we hauled the monster
up upon the sand, where, after a few ineffectual
struggles, he speedily died. The fisherman, how-
ever, by way of precaution fastened his tail up
tightly, and placed a bar of iron in his mouth, so
that he could neither strike nor bite. On opening
the belly of this shark, we found, to our horror,
the leg of a negro which had evidently been freshly
torn off, and next day we learnt, from the journals,
that a horrible accident had happened on board a
ship coming from Norfolk. A negro sailor was
bathing when the ship was moored off' New Jersey,

104 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA.

at about a mile from where we were fishing, when

he saw a shark below him. He cried out to his

comrades for help, and a rope was thrown, which he

succeeded in fastening under his arms ; but just at

the moment when he was being hoisted out of the

water, the monster had snapped at his thigh, and

cut it off as clean as if it had been done with a

knife.* The sailor died in consequence of the

haemorrhage. After burying these human remains,

we continued our researches among the contents of

the shark, and our astonishment may be imagined

Avhen we found a knife and an entire pine-apple.

The brute had breakfasted upon fruit, and supped

on a negro. The only puzzle was, how the knife

got inside him. Perhaps he required it to cut up

the pine-apple.

The third shark the death of which I witnessed

had found his way into New York Bay alongside the

island. I had gone to Governor's Island to pay a

visit to an officer of the American army who was

stationed at the fort, when, suddenly, in the midst

* The shark is very greedy of humau flesh. The majority of sailors
declare that it is fonder of black flesh than of white, and that the
sense of smell is so strongly developed in this fish that slave-shij^s are
always followed by large numbers of sharks. One thing is certain,
that if the sharks have a great fondness for negroes, the negroes have
a mortal hatred against the sharks. When a negro sees a shark, he
dives underneath him with a knife in his hand, and rips his belly open.
The blacks of Carolina are xerj skilful in killing sharks, and I knew
one, who belonged to Mr. Hammerford (a few miles from Charleston),
who had ripped up about thirty-three sharks, and upon whom his
fellows had bestowed the name of "Shark Killer."

A STORY OF SIX SHARKS. 105

of our conversation, we heard a number of screams
intermingled with bursts of laughter. Captain Scott
opened the windovr which faced a small creek which
was opposite the fort, and we saw a dozen soldiers,
some throwing lassoes and others harpoons into the
water, wherein was a fish of strange form and extra-
ordinary size.

"The men have taken a shark prisoner," cried the
captain; " and that's the fifteenth this month.'*

"By Jove!"

" I wish it were the last ; for we can't get into
the water without danger, and, considering what
warm Aveather it is, that is rather a bore." *

" Let us go and have a look at the shark," said I
to my friend.

" If you please. Moreover, I am rather curious
to know how the men send a shark to sea."

" Send it to sea ! Are they going to let it free
then ?"

" Not exactly. Come and see for yourself."

A few moments afterwards, Captain Scott and
myself were on the shore of the little bay in which
the shark was struggling with the soldiers. One of
these, after many failures, had succeeded in getting
a rope around its tail; with this, he had managed to
fix a couple of casks to it, which the shark was

* New York Bay, and the major part of the creeks of the Atlantic,
are so infested with sharks as to render any shore-bathing dangerous.
The presence of these horrible brutes in the American ports is attri-
buted to the abundance of food collected there.

106 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

towing. This was a plan which the soldiers had
borrowed from the French sailors.

It was high tide^ and Governor's Island Bay was
full of water. The "sending to sea" was therefore
easy enough. Oif swam the shark, paddling slowly
with his fins, and with the two casks after him. He
seemed by no means satisfied with the work he had
to do, and like a convict no doubt hoped to get rid
of his fetters. In this, however, he was disappointed,
for three days afterwards the fishermen in Manhattan
Bay brought the news to New York that a shark
had been found drowned with two empty casks
fastened to his tail. The brute had swum sixty
miles before succumbing to his fate.

I have now to relate my fourth adventure, in
which I had to encounter three sharks. I have
already stated that sharks abound on the coasts of
the United States, but the monsters who frequent
those parts are even more hideous than their
European congeners. It is a peculiarity worthy of
remark that the pilot-fish that accompany the Euro-
pean sharks abandon those which frequent the North
American waters.* It is said that the American

* In the Mediterranean, and on tlie shores of Europe, the shark is
always accompanied by two or three fish of about afoot long, with black
stripes around the body, and very often holding on to the shark. They
are called pilot-fish, because they frequently precede and seem to guide
the shark. The voracious brute, which swallows up all other fish,
appears to respect its little friends. Pilot-fish have been hauled aboaixl,
attached to sharks which have been caught. During a voyage to India,
a captain from Charleston saw a pilot-fish jumping after an enormous

A STORY OF SIX SHARKS. 107

shark even devours its friends, and for that reason no
fish will venture near it. One day, I nearly fell a
victim to three of these terrible monsters ; and I
will conclude this chapter with an account of that
horrible adventure.

Not far from Beaufort, on the coast of South
Carolina, there is a sand-bank, a tongue of alluvium
jutting out into the sea. The people of the neigh-
bourhood call it Egg's Bank, for it is there that the
fish which frequent the waters in those parts come
to deposit their ova. At high tide, this bank is
covered with water, but whilst the tempest rages no-
thing can be more picturesque than to see the waves
foaming and seething upon the bar. Frequently,
when the weather was calm and the tide low, I
accompanied one of Mr. Elliot's blacks on the sand-
bank for the purpose of spearing fish, and I caught
a large number of basse and halibut. One day, the
warmth of the atmosphere prompted me to enjoy a
foot-bath, and taking the hand of my friend's slave I
walked into the water waist-deep, and waded to the
sand-bank. There I remained without thinking of
the matter until the tide had almost covered Egg's
Bank. Cain had thought no more than I had of
the necessity for returning to dry land, when,

shark which his crew had caught. It followed the vessel for two hours,
and only seemed to abandon the pursuit when it had lost all hope of
regaining its comrade. It occasionally happens that small fish are
found upon sharks, called suckers, because they are so firmly fixed to
the Bkin of the brute that they can only be detached with difficulty.

108 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

suddenly, he uttered a cry of terror. I turned
round, and judge my surprise when I perceived
within a few yards of us — between the sand-bank
and myself — an enormous shark, swimming towards
us with the greatest rapidity.

" Give me my harpoon," I cried to Cain ; " don^t
leave me for a moment."

"O Lor!" cried Cain, "here's another shark on
the other side."

On turning round, guess my consternation at
perceiving that instead of two there were three
sharks, cruising round as if they had made a
solemn compact of partnership. No doubt it was
the presence of Cain and of the bait for the fish
that had attracted the monsters. " If these sharks
attack us," said I, "we are lost; let us be bold,
and we may escape." I gave my orders to Cain
and advanced, with my harpoon, against the first
shark, which I struck sharply on the head, at the
same time holloaing loudly, my voice being accom-
panied by Cain's, who was nearly wild with terror.
This plan succeeded ; for the sharks swam ofi" into
the deep waters, and we regained the coast without
ever looking behind us.

THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES. 109

VII.— THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES.

I DO not suppose that the history of Newfound-
land* is well known to the majority of my readers,

'' Newfoundland is celebrated for its fisheries and for its breed of
dogs. It is an island ■which measures SOO miles from north to south,
and whose medium width (which is to the east) is 200 miles. Ifc
is 1000 miles in circumference, 36,000 in superficies, and measures
about 3,000,000 acres in excess of Ireland. Deducting, however, the
size of its interior lakes, it is not equal to the size of that island. Its
form is that of an irregular triangle, with its base to the south. The
island is narrower where it approaches the north. The western side is
straighter than the other coasts, although it is interrupted in several
places. The whole of the eastern side is broken up into bays, capes,
islands, and promontories.

Cape Race is at the southern extremity of the island, in 46° 40
north latitude, and 53° 5' west longitude of Greenwich. It is a
place of the greatest importance to navigators, for it is the nearest
to Europe of all Ameiican soil. It is 1636 miles from Ireland,
and about half the distance between New York and Liverpool. All
the northern steamers which travel between the United States and
Great Britain pass in sight of that Cape. If, after doubling Cape Race,
you steer eastward, you come into the splendid bays of Conception,
Trinity, and Bonavista ; continuing westward, you reach E.xploit
Bay, Notre-Dame Bay, and White Bay. To the north are Orange,
Hare, and Pistolet Bays, as well as a great many smaller ones. In the
interior of the island are si.'c or seven large lakes, from twenty to fifty
miles long, and a large number of smaller ones, whence the waters flov,^
to the sea. The principal town and best port is St. John, on the
southern part of the eastern side, between Tor Bay^to the north, and
Bull's Bay to the south. The mouth is so well fortified that the
strongest naval forces might be set at defiance. In time of war, an
enormous chain is placed across the port, rendering all navigation
impossible. The town of St. John is built at the upper end of the
port, and has been gradually raised above the sea. The houses are

110 SPOET IN NORTH AMERICA.

and it is for this reason that I wish to preface the
account which I have to give of an excursion which
I made to the fisheries of Newfoundland, with an
historical account of that Anglo-French possession
which was discovered by the celebrated Venetian,
Jean Cabot, in 1497.

Properly considered, Newfoundland should be for
Great Britain one of the great props of its maritime
strength ; yet it is strange that the ignorance of the
English has prevented them from deriving from their
" new-found-land" all the advantage which the}^
should have done, and that no one ever dreamt of
colonising the island until more than a hundred
years after its discovery. The traveller Hore, who
visited this place about 1536 (that is to say, about
nine-and-thirty years after the visit of Cabot), nearly
perished with famine, — he and his companions,
although the fish must have been swarming around
them. The island could only boast of sixty-two
colonists in 1613, and there M^ere probably not more
than fifty fishing boats there at the time.

The French only began to fish for cod in 15-10,
after Francis I. had ordered the exploration of New-

mostly built of wood, and the streets are narrow and irregularly con-
structed. At least one-half of the population is composed of fishermen.
The Newfoundlanders number 100,000 ; half are descended from the
French, and the rest from the English . More than half the population
is Catholic ; a fact which explains the large number of Irish esta-
blished in the island. The Established Churches of England and
Scotland, and the Methodists, have also zealous missionaries, and schools
are attached to their churches, which receive numerous children.

THE NEWFOUNDLAi^D FISHERIES. Ill

foundland, first of all by J. Verazzoni, and then b}'-
Jacques Cartier, of St. Male, tlie greatest seaman of
liis time. The establishments which they formed
upon the coasts did not enjoy all the success which
Avas expected of them, and it was only under the
reign of Henri IV. that the prime-minister Sully
favoured the cod-fishery by placing it under the
immediate protection of the government. Even the
English did not acquire their celebrated preponder-
ance in the North Sea before the celebrated Drake
had driven the Spaniards thence, and their taking
possession of Newfoundland dates only from 1585.

Corte Hoyal, the Portuguese, had observed an
extraordinary quantity of cod upon the Newfound-
land bank about the commencement of the sixteenth
century. He first gave notice to the European
fishermen of the fecundity of these waters. The
Spaniards attributed the discovery to Estaban de
Gomez, who was named the king's pilot by a royal
decree, dated Valladolid, the 10th February, 1525,
and who went afterwards to seek the North- West
passage. Some of the sailors of the old continent
claim the honour of haAdng fished there at least a
century before the discovery of America, but there
is no ground for these pretensions. The documents
on the subject which have been collected and quoted
in that handsome and important work the " Collec-
tion of Travels and Discoveries of the Spaniards,^'
published by Don Navarete, prove that they fished

112 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

on the Newfoundland banks before the voyages of
Corte Royal or Gomez. In the archives of Simancas
are papers of the Queen Juana, among which is a
licence from the king her father to Ivan Ayamonte,
a Catalan by birth, authorising him to go and make
researches on the shores of Newfoundland [para ira
saber el secreto de la Tierra Neuva).

The English (who help themselves to whatever

morning-

s'

they can get) suddenly laid claim, one fine
to the territorial jurisdiction of the entire island.
A great many attempts at colonisation took place in
consequence, and the first Avhich succeeded took
place in 1623, and was headed by Sir George Calvert,
who became grantee of the province of Maryland.
In 1633, an Irish colony arrived in Newfoundland,
and was followed in 1654 by English emigrants.
At the same time, the French, who had founded a
colony at Placentia, claimed Newfoundland as part
of New France, and persisted bravely in continuing
the fishing.

In the tAvo great wars which England waged
against France, and which terminated by the Peace
of Utrecht, the principal difficulties concerning
America were Hudson's Bay, Newfoundland, and
the district called Acadia by the French, and New
Scotland by the English. It is not so much the
present value of these colonies which makes them so
much sought after, as the possible value of the
fisheries and the trade in fur. The dispute ended in

THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES. 113

favour of the English, who retained the exclusive
possession of Hudson's Bay. New Scotland was
given up to them, and the southern and eastern
coasts of Newfoundland, as well as the entire terri-
torial jurisdiction of the island. This treaty, how-
ever, guaranteed to the French the exclusive occu-
pation of the fisheries on the eastern coasts of the
island, from Cape Bonavista to the southern point,
and from thence on the western coast to Cape
Rich, without giving them the right to set upon
the coast any erections but fishermen's huts and
magazines.

The peace of 1788 gave to France the exclusive
right to fish an the coast of Newfoundland, from
Cape St. John, on the east coast, a little to the
north of 50° north latitude, up to the Strait of
Belle Isle, including the western coast of New-
foundland down to Cape Bay, at the extreme south-
west of the island. The same rights (and also those
over the islands of Miquelon and of St. Pierre) have
been confirmed to France by the treaty signed at
Paris in 1814.

During the two long wars with England, the
French fisheries had been entirely destroyed; but
they Avere resumed immediately after the peace,
and were encouraged and increased by the bonuses
offered by the government. The French law offered
a bonus of fifty francs [92.) for each man of the crew
that dried its fish on the Newfoundland coast, and

114 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

thirty francs per mau for those which brought the
uncured fish to France, Moreover, the fish coming
from the French fisheries and exported abroad,
' fetched a price varying from twelve to twenty
francs per two hundred and twenty pounds.

Let us now look at the English. Their policy
has been lately to treat Newfoundland not like a
colony or an establishment, but as a fishing station,
for the benefit of those English merchants who
pursued the business. According to the evidence
of a Avitness who appeared before a Committee of
the House of Commons in 1793: "Newfoundland
has been considered in the light of a great English
vessel moored on to the banks during the fishing
season, for the convenience of the English fishermen.
The governor is regarded as the captain of the ship,
and all those who are concerned in the fishery form
the crew, and are subject to maritime discipline.^'

An officer of the island, who gave evidence before
that Committee, complained vrarmly that women
were prevented from disembarking on the island.
The English Government denied this ; but it was
believed for all that. During the war of the French
S-epublic the English fishery became very prosperous,
and the fish of Newfoundland attained an enormous
price. In 1814, 1,200,000 hundredweight of fish
were worth more than ,4;2,500,000. The peace of
1815 ruinously modified the price of fish, and the
hundredweight fell gradually down to even twelve

THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES. 115

shillings. The English fishery seemed about to
expire^ so nearly was the great fishery destroyed,
which had been supported by English capital on so
great a scale. The cod-fishery of Newfoundland
was reduced to that which it remains at this moment
— shore-fishery in the neighbourhood of the ports, or
near the coasts, or by means of boats, with five men
per smack. In addition to this, there are vessels
of from 50 to 200 tons, that take seals on the ice
between March and April, and fish for salmon and
cod on the shores of Labrador.

The population of the island having augmented to
something near 100,000 souls, and the place being
no longer considered a station for the English
fishery, there has been a change of policy. The
Newfoundlanders have been permitted to establish
farms ou their island, a concession very propitious
to" agriculture ; and in 1833 the British Parliament
allowed the island to have a legislative assembly.

"The Newfoundland cod-fishery has gradually
revived, and now yields about a million hundred-
weight of fish per annum; but the inhabitants still
view with envy the superior prosperity of their
French rivals. Serious charges have been adduced
as to their encroachments ou the English fisheries,
principally in the neighbourhood of Belle Isle
Strait, and in spite of the activity displayed there
by the English ships of war, a colonial navy has
been established to watch over intruders, and com-

I 2

116 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

plaints have been made for several years past against
American fishermen for poaching in those waters.

To prevent collisions which would otherwise be
inevitable^ and to define exactly the rights of France,
the two governments have agreed to a treaty, giving
to the French the exclusive right to fish and make
use of a part of the shore (for the purposes of the
fishery) during the season between the 15th of April
and the 15th of October. The boundaries are from
Cape St. John to Cape Norman on the norths with
five ports named in the treaty, and a distance of
three miles round the west coasts The French and
English have equal rights over all the rest of the
west coast, and as for the use of the shore to dr}^
the fish, the former enjoy the sole right on the
northern half, and the latter on the southern half.
The line of demarcation is at Cape Rock, and the
shore-right extends to the third of a mile English,
calculated from high-water mark. The right includes
the privilege of cutting wood, but forbids the erec-
tion of any building which is not absolutely necessary
for the fishery. France is also equally entitled to
fish for and preserve cod at the north of Belle
Isle, and for eighty miles along the coasts of
Labrador, between White Sands and Cape Charles,
but only on those parts of the coast which are
unoccupied.

The French are, moreover, entitled to purchase
bait on the south coast of Newfoundland, on the

THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES. 117

same terms as the English fisherman, without being
subjected (as has been attempted) to taxes and duties.
It has been agreed, that in the event of their being
prevented from purchasing the bait for two seasons,
they shall have the right to prepare it for themselves
within a certain limit. The same stipulations are
in force with regard to the French, who are autho-
rised to pass the winter in Newfoundland, to keep
watch over the security of their vessels, and of their
fishing apparatus ; but there is a formal agreement
that there shall not be more than three persons to
each mile of coast, and that these persons shall be
subject to all the laws of the country.

I should observe that this treaty was by no means
approved of by the inhabitants of the English colony,
who contended that the common right ceded to
Prance as regards Belle Isle and Labrador, was even
superior to an exclusive right, and that the effect of
the treaty would be to convert Newfoundland into a
French colony, by banishing from it the English
and the natives, and planting there the French.
Nothing, however, has resulted from this storm in a
tea-cup, and according to the latest information
within my knowledge, all is proceeding very much
to the advantage of Newfoundland.

It was not so, however, in 1849, when I visited the
Newfoundland fisheries. About that time, some
American vessels had got up a quarrel with the
inhabitants, and Captain Wilson of the brig-of-war.

118 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

Montcalm (U.S. Navy), was ordered to St. Jolin to
see to the matter, and arrange it as much as possible
to the benefit of his co-eitizeus. I know not how
the notion came into my head to accompany
Captain Wilson, who very kindly offered me a berth
on board in the officers' cabin; but this I know,
that on tlie evening before the departure of the
Montcalm, I said "yes^' to the Captain's offer, and
enrolled myself as one of his crew for a fifteen or
twenty days' voyage.

I pass over our journe}'- from Boston to Saint
Pierre, which is the first part of Newfoundland that
comes in sight. What struck me most during the
passage, which was favoured with the best of weather,
was the enormous quantity of fish to be seen in the
waters. These inhabitants of the sea, like birds
of strong flight, were gifted with a power of swim-
ming which enabled them to clear long distances
with great celerity, and as they passed through the
water they were constantly meeting with something
to be swallowed without the necessity of stopping
for a moment. They darted round our vessel and
leapt out of the water like living flashes of silver.
I examined with minute attention the liglit and
brilliant bonitos [Thynnus Pelmnys) balancing them-
selves on the waves, and the pilot-fish {Naucrates
ductor) swimming round the vessel and sporting in
the foam. The tunny-fish were in shoals, and the
sport of fishing for them was the great delight of

THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES. 119

the crew, for the presence of that fish is regarded
as an omen of excellent augury by the sailors.
They were the forerunners of a favourable wind,
and came bounding over the waters as if to salute
the Montcalm, plunging under her keel and cross-
ing her path backwards and forwards with ceaseless
evolutions. Behind us, in our track, came the
terrible shark, ready to swallow up whatever chance
might throw within his reach.

On the fifth morning after we started, the man on
the watch called out " Land !" and we were at New-
foundland. Captain Wilson hoisted the star-spangled
banner and saluted with a broadside, which was duly
replied to by Fort St. John. We then disembarked
and paid a visit to the governor. There is no need
to recount the details of our piscatorial difficulty
(which, thanks to the good intentions of both
parties, was soon arranged), but to return at once — •
not to my sheep — but to my fish.

I had come to Newfoundland to see the place,
and to give an account of the cod-fishery, and as we
had four clear days at St. John's, I took advantage
of them to explore the fishery and take notes.

My first expedition was to a French vessel called
the Sainte Marie, which was stationed about a league
from St. John^s, at a place which (as I was in-
formed) is one of the best on the coasts of New-
foundland. It was a ship of a hundred tons, manned
by twelve men, all first-rate seamen and experienced

120 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

fishermen. The provisions of the ship were simple,
but of excellent quality. Spirits were almost entirely
forbidden on board, and beef, salt pork, and biscuit
formed the ordinary bill-of-fare. As for the clothing
of the crew, it Avas of warm stuff's, with over-jackets,
breeches made of double cloth soaked in oil and
water-proof, large sea-boots, round hats tarred and
waxed, leathern gloves, and woollen shirts. The hold
of the ship was filled with casks of different sizes ;
some containing salt, others empty and ready to
receive the oil to be extracted from the cod-fish.
The wages of the men varied from three to four
pounds per month, according to their ability.

I soon obtained from the captain (whose name
was Simon) permission to be present at one day's
fishing with his crew. At three in the morning I
was to breakfast on board and start in the pinnace
with the best fishermen he had onboard. I arrived
at the appointed hour, and breakfasted with the
crew. It was a comfortable repast ; coff"ee, bread,
and meat. After this, we provided ourselves with
what was necessary for the day, and then set out.

" Now then, lads," cried Captain Simon, " off"
with you, and I wish you a good day's fishing."
On this, I slid down the rope-ladder into the pinnace
with four sailors, whilst the other boats received
their crews, and then we started for the bank where
the cod-fish were to be found. As soon as we arrived
there the boats anchored within short distances of

THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES. 121

each other, in from ten to twenty feet of water, and
then the fishing began.

Each man had two lines, and two stationed them-
selves at the bow of each boat and two at the stern,
back to back. The lines were leaded, and the fish
bit almost as soon as the lead touched the bottom.
Then the man pulled up the fish as fast as he
could, and throwing it over a round bar of iron
behind him, the weight of its body disengaged the
hook, and, the bait being either put back again or
renewed, in went the line again. This operation
being constantly repeated, the bottom of the boat
was soon alive with cod-fish, and the fishing went on
with a rapidity which seemed to me to be marvel-
lous. All day, my four shipmates never ceased
talking. They talked of everything ; fishing,
making love, domestic matters, and even politics;
sometimes a good Gallic joke escaped their lips,
followed by a hearty Gallic laugh. One of the
brave fellows was a Breton sailor from Morlaix, and
he gave me some interesting details as to the cod-
fishery on the French coast, which seemed to me
important enough to be noted down.

It appears that on the French coast more than
four hundred vessels are occupied with the cod-
fishery, and over two hundred are employed in
fetching and carrying, and in the other operations
necessary for carrying on the fishery. From this it
would appear that about seven hundred sail and

122 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

eighteen thousand sailors are maintained by this
fishery, — or something like one fourth of the actual
muster of the maritime " inscription^' — a precious
reserve of power, always serviceable, hardened to
the roughest service, in the stormiest seas and the
worst climate, useful for the commercial navy in
time of peace, and available for the navy in time of
war. The produce of the French cod-fishery is
about 60,000 tons of fish, of which about one third
is exported to Italy and Spain. The home consump-
tion absorbs the remainder.

The Newfoundland cod-fishery has always occupied
the first rank ; for it employs the greatest number of
sailors, and vessels of every size, from thirty to three
hundred and fifty tons. When a vessel arrives at
the coast early in June, the crew disembark with
all things on board and establish themselves in
wooden huts on the shore, where they lie by until
after the winter-season. Then they go out every
morning in boats (two men and a boy in each) to
fish with the line, and remain out all day until
evening. Besides these fishing-boats, each vessel is
furnished with one or more net-boats, which take
ten men to man them, and are only used when the
fish is abundant. On the return of the boats, the
fish is cut up, salted, and packed, and after it has
been for several days in the salt, it is taken out and
laid upon the beach by the boys, until it is suffi-
ciently dried. The fishermen quit the coast at the

THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES. 123

end of September, some returning to France and
others with a cargo of cod to the West Indies.

The fishery at St. Pierre and at the islands of
Miquelon resembles that on the Newfoundland coast,
only it is carried on in flat boats called wherries or
pirogues. There are from two to tliree thousand of
these, managed with sail and oar, and manned by
two men each. They go out in the morning, and
return in the evening. There are three classes of
persons who devote themselves to the cod-fishery
and to the preparation of the fish : 1st, the native
fishermen, to the number of a thousand to eleven
hundred; 2ndly, the winter fishermen, who come
to pass the season, or stay there for several years, —
the number of these does not exceed five hundred ;
3rdly, the birds of passage, who come every year
from Prance, and return at the end of the season ;
these number from three to four hundred. The
cod-fishery and the preparation of the fish are the
only occupations on the islands of St. Pierre and the
Miquelons, and supply full employment for all the
wintering-fishermen and the greater part of the in-
habitants, men, women, and children. The fishery
begins about the month of April, and lasts until the
middle of October. It is generally very abundant,
and produces small fish, as on the Newfoundland coast.

The fishery on the Great Bank is carried on by
vessels of from a hundred and twenty to three
hundred tons, furnished with two long boats. From

124 SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

sixteen to twent}'' men are requisite for the manage-
ment of the ship and boats. They start from
France between the 1st and 15th of March, and
the ships repair at once to St. Pierre^ -where the
passenger-fishermen are landed. The lads and
apprentices fill up the number on board, and it is
their business to look after the work of drjdng the
fish on shore. The crew then set sail for the Bank,
and cast anchor in forty to fifty fathoms of water.
The fishing-boats are then launched, and every night,
manned by five men each, they go to lay the long
trot lines, each furnished with five hundred hooks.
Every morning the lines are drawn, and the fish
opened, washed, salted, and laid on board in the
hold. The rest of the crew remaining on board fish
with bottom lines. The first fishing-season ended
(which is from the 15th to the 30th of June), the
catch is taken to St. Pierre to be dried, whilst the
vessel, furnished with a fresh supply of salt and bait,
returns to the Bank for a second fishery. Occa-
sionally there is even a third crop, and that is taken
to France, salted only and not dried. The fishing
on the Great Bank is much harder work and far
more dangerous than that on the coast. It demands
experienced sailors and brave men, for it is carried
on in a sea which is never at rest. The loss of men
and boats is frequent, on account of the squalls and
fogs. The coast-fishery forms sailors, but the Bank-
fishery hardens them.

THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES. 125

The morning having been spent in the way which
I have attempted to describe, and in listening to the
yarns of the men (often very instructive), as soon as
our boat was fall and would hold no more, we returned
to the Sainte Marie. There the captain and four
men had arranged long tables, with bari'els of salt
by the side. The interior of the ship was cleared of
all but the salt requisite for the preliminary opera-
tions, and as soon as the cod-fish were brought
upon deck the work of opening and curing com-
mencedo The first operator cut off the fish's head
with a single stroke, and threw the head overboard ;
then opening the upper part of the belly with a
cut, he passed the fish on to his neighbour, who re-
moved the entrails, took out the liver, which he threw
into a barrel, and then pitched the remainder into
the sea. A third sailor passed his knife under the
back-bone, separating it from the ilesh, and then
threw the fish down the hatchway. There were the
salters, who rubbed the fish well with salt, and
packed it into barrels. This Avent on until all the
fish had run the gauntlet from the knife of the first
operator to the salt hands of the men down in the
hold.

After witnessing the barrelling for a good half
hour, I felt that I had seen enough of that part of
the work, and requested Captain Simon to allow me
to see a little of the net-fishing.* The very evening

* A large net about three fathoms deep, leaded and corked.

J20 SI'OItT IX NOKTir AMKIUCA.

before, a sigusil had been reeeived fro)n Newfouud-
land, announcing the arrival of immense shoals of
capelin in all the bays, followed by cod, which are
very fond of this easy prey. TJicy literally lined the
shores in compact masses.

It requires six men to draw a seine, one end of
■which is fastened to the shore by a rope, and the
other is tal^en out in sucli a manner as to sweep
the largest i)Ossible space. When the rnanoiuvre of
enclosing a half-circle has been completed, two fisher-
men draw tiie net to land by tiie aid of a capstan,
whilst the four others rtnnain in tlic l)oat and keep
up the net, beating tlie water with their oars, so as
to frighten the fish from jumping over tlie edge. I
dare say some will suppose that I am romancing, but
at the risk of that (only entreating my readers to
verify my statements by competent authority), I
declare that I saw a single haul consisting of three
thousand eight hundred and seventeen fish, without
counting small fry.

In the evening, 1 returned on board the Montcalm
wonderstruck, for it seenuul to me as if I had
really witnessed " the miraculous ch^aught of fishes.''

Next day was Sunday, and Captain Wilson took
me to (jlrande Aliquelon, where tliere were several
fellow-countrym(;n to be visited, and the day after
we dined with tlie Govei-nor of Newfoundland at
St. John's. On leaving the lionse of that worthy
functionary, an inhabitant of the country who had

THE NEWFOUNULANJ) KISIIKIUKS. 127

been (lining uith us, proposed to take us to a ball.
"A ball?" cried wc. " Certainly, gentlemen ; come
along."

After threading for some time the nia/e of .streets
Avliich lies around the fort, \vc arrivcMl before a
M'ooden house, over the threshold of which a llicker-
ing lantern was placed, apparently to attract the
passers-by. The red glass which adorned the copjjcr
framework of the lantern rcmiuded nie of the lamps
over a police-station at home; but at the erid of
u passage with a damp and sticky lloor was an
immense room lighted up Avith Chinese lanterns of
coloured paper, and a few candles stuck against tlu;
Avails. To the right, Avas a black and smoky chim-
ney, and on the shelf above a roAV of pots of all sizes
and shapes. To the left, a number of culinary
arrangements, and a row of Avooden benches ran all
rourul the Avails of the apartnu;nt. These were for
the accomnio(hition of the "yoimg ladies" of the
neighbourhood, some of Avhom had already arrived,
plump even to cxpansiveness, and clad in garments
Avhich dazzled, if they did not delight the eye. To
say the truth, one might have imagined oneself
among the Sfjuaw.f in one of the great wigwams of
the Far West. Gradually the room grew fuller of
"ladies" and "gentlemen" fishermen, and then the
dance began, — a dance which had nothing remark-
able, beyond those peculiar contortions which dis-
tinguish the cancan of some of the popular Parisian

128 SrORT TN NORTH AMERICA.

ball-rooms. Every time the musicians paused (there
were but a fiddle and a clarinet), the fishermen and
their partners ran to one of the corners of the room
for a %vhet, which consisted of a glass of rum, and
which the ladies swallowed without the slightest
objection.

Altogether, it was a curious spectacle, yet scarcely
worth the rest which we should have sacrificed to it,
through folly and gaiety of heart, had we remained
much longer in society where we were really out of
place. I was glad therefore wlien Captain Wilson
proposed to me that we should beat an honourable
retreat, and in another hour we were sleeping our
best in our berths on board the Montcalm.

Next morning, Captain Wilson hoisied the Ame-
rican flag, and fired a salute, which was answered
by the fort; and then, all sails set, we returned
toAvards Boston, which we reached before a cap-
full of wind.

Captain Wilson died five years ago whilst doubling
Cape Horn, carried overboard by a sea. May God
rest his soul !

THE WILD BOAES OF THE OCE^VN. 129

VIII.— THE WILD BOARS OF THE OCEAN.

Of all the fishes which gastronomy has pronounced
to be proper to be eaten by man — a compKment which
certain inhabitants of the deep return in kind when-
ever they get the chance — the tunny * is the largest,
the best, and the most nutritious.

These qualifications (tlie first especially) may be
occasionally exaggerated, but as a Proven 9al, who
knows wliat fish is, I maintain them stoutly. Away
from the coast, we only know the tunny steeped in oil

* The tunny (Scoviher Thjnnus) belongs to that family of Sconibc-
ridce which has been so well described by Linnseus, Cuvier, and Laco-
pede. Its flesh is compact, close-grained, and in some parts almost
black, and the flavour is more like that of animal food than that of any
other inhabitant of the sea. On the back it is blue-black, silvery on
the belly; near the dorsal fin are ten golden stripes, and upon the anal
fins from six to eight iridescent zigzags. This fish weighs ordinarily
from 80 to 200 pounds, but occasionally attains much more gigantic
proportions. Aldrovandi mentions a tunny which was 32 feet long
and 16 feet round at its largest circumference. It was captured near
Gibraltar in 1505. In the woi-k of that author, Be Plscibus, there is
an engraving representing this tunny, on the back of which is repre-
sented a fleet of ships reaching from the tail to the gills. In Sardinia,
on the coasts of Italy, and in the islands of Majorca and Minorca, the
tunny fish is salted just like the cod. Thus prepared, it is sold in
Spain, Italy, and even in Barbary ; but at Marseilles it is marinaded,
or soaked, in virgin olive oil — a sauce which is almost unknown ia
Paris, and which is never to be found anywhere in winter. It resembles
flakes of saffron snow. Every part of the tunny is good to eat ; lut
the favourite part is the belly, which is justly reputed to be the rncst
delicate in flavour, and is sold at a higher price than the rest.

130 SPORT IN NOKTH AMERICA.

and sealed up carefully iu a bottle. Under these
circumstances, it is lucky if we do not liave palmed
upon us a piece of boiled veal dressed with Proven9al
sauce.

Some years ago, in Paris, tlie late proprietor of
the Provencal bazaar (of facetious memory) offered to
epicures a certain tunny pie during Lent; but I must
confess that, having been one day persuaded to make
an experiment of this confection, I was laid up and
could take nothing but spoon-meat for twenty-four
hours. One man only. Quillet- Ray mondet, the cele-
brated pastry-cook of the Carrefour de Buci, has
initiated the Parisians into the veritable delights of
tunny pie. Let us hope that the day is not far
distant when we shall see this admirable fish regu-
larly sold in our markets, and that our cooks will
learn hov/ to serve it as it should be served, either
smothered in truffle sauce, or cold, with a remoulade.
It will be an immense accession to our Parisian
gastronomy.

The tunny is a great traveller, like the sardine, the
herring, and the mackerel. He is fond of making-
long journeys, and every year he starts from the
coasts which he frequents regular excursion trains
for the west of Europe, the African coast, Spain,
and Italy ; also to the coasts of the New World,
from Cape Cod to Florida. I have little doubt that
tunny may also be found in the Indian Seas; but
of this I have no certain knowledge.

THE WILD BOARS OF THE OCEAN. 131

Whence come the tunnies? Where do they
remain during the winter months ? I know not, and
I have not met with anybody who is able to answer
that question. Pliny and other ancient naturalists
(in whose knowledge I must confess I have but slen-
der confidence) assign to them as a winter residence
the Sea of Azof, the Palus Meotides of the ancients.
The modern ichthyologists declare that they come
from the open sea, and that whilst some penetrate the
Mediterranean by the Straits of Gibraltar — making
the tour of the coast, from Tetuan to Tunis, and so
on to Alexandria, Constantinople, and then the Black
Sea and the Sea of Azof, returning in considerably
diminished numbers by Greece, Illyria, and Italy,
France and Spain — others strike ofi" bravely towards
the American coasts, and spread themselves from the
West Indies to the mainland. However that may
be (wherever these giant fish get to in winter), it is
certain that as soon as fine weather returns the
tunnies re-appear on the surface, and delight the
astonished eyes of the fishermen. There can be no
doubt that these fish are attracted to our shores by
the sea-acorns, which grow every spring in every
bay. This marked taste of the tunny for the sea-
acorn has earned for it in France the name of Cochin
maritime, and in the States that of the "Wild
Boar of the Ocean." The principal cause of this
peculiar predilection is, in my opinion, the opportunity
aftbrded to deposit their ova securely in those masses

132 SPORT IN' NORTH A3IER1('A.

of weed whicli a steamer can Avith difficulty force its
way through. Differing from other fish of the same
family, the tunnies avoid the mouths of rivers^ pos-
sibly because their instinct has taught them that the
current will carry their ova into the open sea. It is
upon the coasts^ beside rocks and among sea-weeds,
that the female lays her eggs, concealing herself
so as to avoid observation. The tunnies always move
about in numerous troops, following the track of a
ship when the occasion presents itself, and taking
advantage of the shadow which it projects, as also of
scraps or other waifs that may be thrown overboard.
Many a time have I seen shoals of them, arranged
in the form of an immense parallelogram, manceu--
vring about in a fashion that would not have dis-
graced a regiment of soldiers. Experienced fisher-
men declare that they proceed with such regularity
that, by counting them as rank and file, you may
ascertain, within a very few, the number of the whole
shoal.

Tunnies must never be looked for in calm weather;
but when the wind freshens, and the sea is furrowed,
the shoals of tunnies may be seen defying wind and
water, but always keeping within a short distance of
the land.

For the benefit of those who are likely to have an
opportunity of enjoying the sport, I will record the
means used by the fishermen of France, Navarre,
Spain, and the United States, for capturing this

THE WILD BOARS OF THE OCEAN. 133

giant of edible fishes. Before they found out how
to catch them in shoals, the fishermen of every
country had only the harpoon to work with. After
that, the first engine devised by the fishermen was
the train, — a net stretched some sixty yards from
the shore, so as to be drawn landward by a large
double rope fastened to the further end. The main
drawback of this train-net was that it only captured
about one-tenth of the shoal, whilst it efi'ectually
frightened the rest.

During the night (a dark night was best) a boat,
with several fishermen in it, would set sail for the
place where a shoal of tunnies had been seen at
sunset. If rowing were necessary, the oars were
muffled, and when the place was reached, the net,
corked and leaded, was quietly paid out, and as soon
as the whole train was shot, the boat turned about,
rowing round to the left, without letting go of the
net, so as to encircle the tunnies, the fishermen
beating the water as Xerxes flogged the sea, and
halloaing out so as to frighten the tunnies, who, not
knowing what had happened to them, became scat-
tered about, and entangled themselves in the meshes
of the net, which the fishermen gradually drew
towards the shore by the end ropes. Once landed,
the take was usually found to be very remu-
nerative.

Appian relates that, in his time, the fishermen
liad invented a net, which (judging from his descrip-

134 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA,

tion) must have greatly resembled the nets used in
tunny fishing, — a large net with " walls " and
purseSj a regular submarine maze, from which the
fish, when once fairly enclosed, could seldom escape.
Whether the fishermen of our day ever read Appian,
cither in the original or through a translation, I
cannot affirm positively, though I much doubt it; this
I do know, however, that the first who employed
the Proven9al drag, or American pig-catcher, re-
nouncing the use of the harpoon, did so after
this fashion. The tunny never travels alone. He
never turns back, but always goes straight forward.
In fact, he is a "regular go-ahead Yankee.^' If he
meets with any obstacle in his Avay, instead of trying
to break through or get over it, he merely swims
round it, when a single blow of his tail would
perhaps free him. This fact once understood, the
inventive fisherman eould easily take advantage of
the habit of the tunny in order to catch him. He
had only to make an immense net to present a kind
of wall, and to secure it so with anchors and ropes
that it could be stretched out far into the sea. This
kmd of arrangement has not been materially altered
since the day when it was first invented. The tunnies
find their way into the labyrinth, and become en-
tangled in the first enmeshed enclosure, from which
there is no escape but into the second, and that again
leads to a third, and so on, to the fourth and last,
which is nothing but an enormous bag, secured to

THE WILD BOAES OF THE OCEAN. 135

tlie bottom by anchors and stones, so that nothing
can escape through its meshes.*

"■" Such of my readers as Avould like to examine these nets without
going to the United States, need proceed no farther than Marseilles,
which (thanks to the railroad) is not very far off ; in that corner of
the Mediterranean which you come upon after quitting the admirable
tunnel of the Montague de la Nerthe — a work worthy of the Romans,
and which crowns the fine railway which connects Lyons with Mar-
seilles. When the traveller opens his eyes after emerging from this,
and the Mediterranean first meets his view, he is dazzled and fascinated
by the spectacle of that vast sheet of water sparkling in the sun. The
liquid plain bathes the bases of lofty mountains, whose sides are covered
with pine forests, and fields in which the branches of the olive and the
vine are intertwined, all flourishing with the most vigorous vegetable
health, and in spite of the natural aridness of a soil which the agri-
culturist has rescued from whins, sage, and wild thyme.

You arrive at Marseilles, and after a few more turns of the wheel
you are at the station. Already you i^erceive the hill of Notre Dame
de la Garde, and beneath it the Imperial chateau, protected by the
batteries of Fort St. Jean. Towards the v,-est lies the sea, bordered
on the horizon by the Chateau d'L'', towering over the islands of
Pomegue and Ratonneau.

But before quitting the station of St. Charles, over the walls of the
Marseilles country-houses you will see the hill on which stands the
chateau of M. Foresta, bordering on the sea, and a few cables' length
from the Chateau Vert — the first restaurant in France — and Marseilles.
Here is the great system of nets which has been constructed by the
powerful and venerated Fishermen's Company of this great City on the
Sea. It is no small matter to keep in good repair those immense nets
which are exposed to all the damage of the weather, to the attacks of
sharks and other sea-monsters, whose proceedings are the reverse of
pacific as soon as they find themselves entrapped within the treach-
erous meshes, but break through every obstacle that opposes them.
Nothing but the wealth of a great nobleman or the joint-stock purse of a
company could sufiice to meet" the accidental expenses which arise, not
to mention the capital required for the ordinary working. The muni-
cipality of Marseilles grants the site for the manclrague (as it is called)
for ten, fifteen, and even twenty years. This privilege, which is of
great value, has been withdrawn since 1851 from a great number of
concessionaires, on the pretext that the nets interfered with the navi-

136 SrOllT IN NOKTH AMERICA.

This tlien is liow the fishermen proceed in working
these nets. The tunny fisliing is carried on twice a
day, evening and in the morning before sunrise.
Often during the early years of my youth I awoke
about three o'clock in the morning, and went to the
part of the beach where some of the fishermen were
waiting for me. I used to get into the boat of the
master-pilot, who led the party, and which was
followed by three other boats.

The thing to be done was to find out the shoal of
tunnies, so as to drive them among the nets, and
this was generally soon done. Directly we saw
them bounding over the crests of the waves, the
four boats advanced upon them so as to drive them
along the nearest wall of the net, whence they were
conducted from chamber to chamber into the bastille
or prison of the net. And then, what delight it was
to see the beauties, with perhaps one or two excep-
tions, entangle themselves within the inextricable
intricacies of the nets. We would chase them with
shouts of triumph ; for the more noise made, the
more readily did the fish fall into the snare. At
length, the tunnies were all captive, when all that
remained to be done was to get them into the

gation. If this objection had been taken in the case of the navigation
of a river, I could have understood it ; but I must confess that, as it
regards the sea, it appears to me somewhat chimerical. For my part,
I vote for the fishermen of Marseilles. Like a true epicure, I am fond
of tunny — a delicacy which the epicures of that city would be very
soriy to be deprived of.

THE WILD BOARS OF THE OCEAN. 137

four boats. Then, at the Avord of command, the
two largest boats drew up on either side of the
middle chamber or purse, which four men forthwith
began to haul up towards the surface of the water.
There they were, fluttering about with their blue
backs, without the slightest suspicion of the fate
which awaited them. That was the difficult job, to
get the fish into the bottom of the biggest boat,
without letting any of them drop back into the sea.
The fishermen, however, who were generally speaking
very strong and skilful, would seize them by the tail,
lifting them with Herculean force, and dash them
at the bottom of the boat, where they would lie
struggling and palpitating in the last agony. As
soon as this operation was completed, the net was
replaced at the bottom of the water, and once more
secured by its anchors, and to its weights of lead and
stone ; after which the boats returned to Marseilles,
where the prey was handed over to those strapping
women-porters in petticoats, who carry the fish to
market.

During the past century, the pleasure of tunny
fishing was a sport almost as much in vogue as
racing is in our own days. Every wealthy family
possessed a handsome boat, in which, accompanied
by friends, they would follow the tunny fishers ; and
the starting of the boats, adorned with bright flags
and streamers, and crowded with youth and beauty,
added to the beautiful aspect of the sea and the

138 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

balsamic odours of its shores, the freshness of the
atmosphere, and the gentle heat of the sun, whose
rays gilded every wave, offered to the sight and to
the senses a spectacle which inspired Joseph Vernet
to paint one of his most highly esteemed marine
pictures. In our times, the mandragues of Mar-
seilles have fewer visitors than when the celebrated
painter produced that remarkable painting, which
is one of the most admired in the collection of
the Louvre — and yet the fashion, which had been
discontinued for many years, is gradually return-
ing to the shores of the Mediterranean. In the
United States, the tunny fishing is one of the most
popular on the shores of the Atlantic. Not only
do the fishermen by profession give themselves
up to the sport of a tunny hunt, but there are
amateurs who keep nets, resembling those of the
Mediterranean, near their properties.

One of the latter, a Mexican Spaniard, who retired
to the United States in 1838, to escape the dangers
of the pronunciamenti, Don Alvear Manoel Alfenares,
a rich planter in South Carolina, struck up an inti-
mate acquaintance with me at the Baths of Newport.
There I met hiiii in 1842, and I received a letter
from him one morning, inviting me to spend a few
weeks at his estate at Winyan Bay, not far from
Savannah. " Do come, I beg, my dear sir,^^ wrote
he; "my two daughters and myself will be delighted
to do the honours of our habitation, and I hope my

THE WILD BOARS OF THE OCEAK. 139

son will return from Havannah in time to show you
some sport."

The invitation was too friendly to be refused, so I
begged a short holiday of my editor, and started one
fine morning by the Southern Eailvvay. Three days
afterwards, I was at the plantation of Don Manoel,
and one must have experienced the hospitable treat-
ment and the care which the visitor receives in these
far-off homes, where the host is the friend and the
guest the brother, to understand the feelings which
they engender. Although it is fifteen years ago, I
remember as if it were yesterday, those two beautiful
Creole girls dressed in white, who came out, holding
each other by the hand, to receive me under the
verandah of the house at Winyan Bay, and offering
their cheeks for a chaste salute, without prudery
and without false shame, and then gently compelling
me to be seated, whilst one took possession of my
Panama hat, and the other of my walking-stick.

" Your room is quite ready," said Peppina.

" And a bath," added Rosita.

" You are now one of the family," chimed in
the worthy host, bursting out upon us. " I am
delighted to see you. To tell you the truth, I
scarcely expected you, for the French are often
readier to promise than to perform. However, you
are an exception to the rule. Now you must go
to your room, and I will give orders to my man
Ryno to attend you. It's half-past twelve; so

140 SPOET IN NORTH AMERICA.

you^ll take your bath and siesta until four. Yovi
will then find us here. However, you must do as
you like. Liberty is the motto here."

At the hour agreed upon, I rejoined my host and
his family, thoroughly refreshed by the bath and
rest. Peppina and Kosita had dressed themselves
for the occasion most beautifully and becomingly ;
the former in a yellow silk dress, covered with black
lace, and the other in rose-coloured China satin,
with black velvet trimmings. In their black and
shining locks Avas no ornament but the flowers of
the pomegranate.

I pass over the details of the dinner, which was
delicious, and of the evening, which passed in sing-
ing, chatting, and arranging a thousand plans. It
is only necessary to record that, just as we were
about to think of retiring, a timid voice was heard
from under the piazza, saying, " Massa ! " It was
one of Don Manoels negroes.

" Ah ! is that you. Tybald ? What's the matter
at this time of night ? "

" Jess come up from the fishery, massa, and the
tunnies are come, and there'll be capital fishing to-
morrow."

" Give Tybald a piastre and a bottle of treacle-
rum,^^ cried Don Manoel, " for his good news. The
tunnies were never more welcome in Winyan Bay,
for they will amuse our guest. So good night, Ty-
bald: be here to-morrow morning at six o'clock.

THE WILD BOARS OF THE OCEAN. 141

and we'll start for the fishery directly after break-
fast."

Next morning I was up with the dawn, and having
donned a costume of irreproachable white, stole out
into the garden to enjoy a cigar, and not without a
hope of meeting my charming hostesses. In this,
however, I was doomed to disappointment, for Don
Manoel sallied out presently with a " What ! up
already ? I see you're eager for the sport. Come
along to breakfast, for my daughters are waiting for
us in the dining-room." Sure enough, there were
the young ladies seated before the sacramental
chocolate pot, which they milled until it foamed
again, to make the beverage all the better.

That business over, my host gave orders for a pair
of horses to be harnessed to a very comfortable
American char-d-banc, in Avhich we all took our
seats, and the black coachman drove his cattle at a
good pace along a wide road through the forest,
which was shaded by lofty trees and shrubs which
loaded the air with a thousand scents. The road
soon coasted the sea and seemed short enough,
owing no doubt to the agreeable company in which
I was. In half-an-hour, we arrived at the bay where
the fishery of Don Manoel was situated.

Like the mandragues of the Mediterranean, the
walls of the net all led towards a central chamber,
in which (according to Tybald) half a dozen tunnies
were already entangled. "But,'' added he, "we

142 SPOET m NORTH AMERICA.

shall Lave a crowd bj'-and-by. There are three
boats driving 'era, and they have twice signalled
good luck. Look there, massa ! '' Looking in the
direction indicated by the negro, we could perceive
a flag hoisted on the mast of one of the boats, of a
colour which was understood to presage success, and
presently Tybald drew our attention to a number
of black spots on the waves. " Here come de pigs ! "
cried he. The tunnies were in sight, and grew more
and more visible every moment.

They advanced almost in order of battle in large
numbers, as if prepared to charge through whatever
opposed them. Fortunately, hov/ever, the nets were
strong, and as the fish came on they turned along
the walls into the central chamber until the net was
quite full, and the tunnies that remained outside had
nothing for it but to regain the open sea in the best
way they could.

This was the moment for witnessing the miracu-
lous draught, — that is, the raising of the central
chamber — a solemn operation for the fishermen of
Winyan Bay, and Don Manoel's state-barge, rowed
by four oarsmen, brought us to the spot in a very
few minutes. During this time, the three fishing-
boats had come up and were preparing for the
capture.

" Now, boys," cried Don Manoel, " go ahead, and
don't let a single one escape."

On hearing this, the fishermen set to work and

THE WILD BOARS OF THE OCEAN. 143

drew up tlie net, iu "which were flapping about thirty-
two tunnies of various sizes. The blacks are very
ready at all kinds of sport, but they seldom invent
anything new. The plan of seizing the tunnies by
the tail and throwing them to the bottom of the boat
Mas exactly the same as that followed at Marseilles.

Some of the fish measured at least a yard and a
half in length. According to custom, they were all
taken to Savannah market, except four, which were
reserved for the master's house, and I can assure the
reader that on tasting the fish, as dressed by my
host's cook, with a sauce au gumbo, it seemed to me
one of the most delicious dishes I ever partook of in
my life.

During the first week of my residence at Winyan
Bay, I made the acquaintance of the two charming
young men to whom Peppina and Rosita were
betrothed, a circumstance which may perhaps
account for the fact that I am still a bachelor.
Joking apart, however, every medal has its reverses.
A month of pleasure passed by — too short, alas ! —
the hour of return arrived, and one morning I found
myself once more on the railroad being whirled back
again to New York, deeply regretting the necessity
which compelled me to quit such amiable friends.

144 SrORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

IX.— THE GIANTS OF LABRADOR.

I SHALL not be teaching ray readers mucli when I
remind them that the whale is tlie largest known
animal in creation, and that it is the giant of the
sea, just as the elephant is of the land. The right
Avhale, the first of the Cetacea, measures from forty-
five to a hundi'ed feet in length ; yet certain travel-
lers have been guilty of the exaggeration of assigning
double these dimensions to individuals seen b}'^ them-
selves in distant seas, and upon unknown shores.
One hundred feet is, however, a very respectable
length, and I prefer to stop at that.

In the month of February, 1848, three large
vessels were moored alongside each other against
one of the wharfs on the East River, waiting for the
favourable moment when they could quit the bay
and set sail for the whale fisher}^. One morning,
having nothing better to do, I mounted the rope-
ladder which hung over the larboard side of one of
them, and with the permission of the captain, who
was quietly smoking his pipe on the quarter-deck, I
asked a sailor to show me over the interior of the
floating-house.

It was a large three-master, of five hundred tons
burden, fitted with care, and evidently intended to
brave the roughest weather and the ice-fxoes of

THE GIANTS OF LABRADOR. 145

the Arctic circle. The crew consisted of thirty-
two men, each appointed to his separate duties,
and tivo captains, one of whom superintended the
sailing of the vessel to the place of fishing, and the
other taking charge of the catching and preparing
the whales. The sailor who conducted me and
showed me every detail (thinking it necessary even
to explore the stinking hold of the ship), explained
to me that there was not the slightest rivalry
between the two chiefs of the expedition, but they
were " two good twins,^' — a phrase which he con-
stantly repeated. After these, were four officers,
including mates and surgeon, a first-rate carpenter,
two coopers, a blacksmith, two cooks (one for the
officers and the other for the crew), and twenty-two
sailors. On the deck of the vessel I found slung
from iron stanchions six whale-boats, and a seventh
behind the forecastle. The cabins of the captains
and officers were furnished in a style of the most
primitive simplicity, when compared with the fitting-
np of other ships which I had visited in port.

"Aboard a whaler," said my guide, ''luxuries are
useless. You must get accustomed to be soaked in
oil. Easy-chairs are all very well for the gents
who travel in steamers, or for amateur merchant-
men/'

From this I gathered that the whaling sailor has
no great admiration for other kinds of sailors.

"As soon as ever we're at sea," he continued

VOL, II. L

146 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

"every man in the ship knows his place/^ A captain,
harpooner, and four oarsmen arc appointed for every
boat. Each harpooner receives twenty harpoons,
six spears, two cutting spades, a hatchet, two knives,
a good stock of handles for harpoons, spears, and
spades, and a sufficient quantity of the line or thin
strong cord, which is so indispensable in the fishing.
As the ship approaches the fishing-ground where it
expects to meet with the whales, the crew is con-
stantly engaged in making preparations, and espe-
cially in fitting up the whale-boats, which are
regarded, each by its particular crew, with affec-
tionate solicitude. The whale-boat is the . most
necessary of all the implements, for everything
(lepends on it. This is why the whalers can never
exercise too much care with regard to it, or be too
particular about providing it with everything needful
to keep it in good case.

After the boat, the next most important matter
is the harpoon. My guide placed in my hands an
iron dart, the barb forming an obtuse angle of
about a hundred and twenty degrees, and with sharp
cutting edges about three inches long. I had never
seen a more terrible weapon for its purpose. The
third side of the triangle, about six lines thick, is
fastened by the middle to an iron branch of exceed-
ing suppleness, in which is fixed the handle, whereby
the harpoon is thrown. The metal should be of
such temper that it will bend in every direction, but

THE GIANTS OF LABRADOR. 147

never break, and a few blows of a hammer should
suffice to straighten it, even when twisted up like a
corkscrew.

When I had seen and examined everything fully,
I slipped half a dollar into the hand of my guide,
and regained the deck. Here I found the ''two
good twins " seated before a well-stocked table, and
making a hearty breakfast on the poop.

" Well, sir, do you think you know what a whale-
ship is now ? " asked the captain, when I had first
of all advanced.

" I think so," I rephed. " As a journalist and a
foreigner, I pick up all the information I can, and
now, with the exception of actually seeing a whale
caught (which I have never had the good luck to
do), I think I know all about it."

" Ah ! then you^re a journalist, sir ? " asked the
other captain.

" Yes, sir. I belong to the Neiv York Herald."

^' Ho ! ho ! Pray be seated, sir."

I have already made mention of the deference
and respect which is manifested towards the Press
in America. The " twins " of the Jackson (that
v.as the name of the whaler) soon made me wel-
come. I breakfasted with my new friends, and left
them with a promise to pay them another visit on
board whenever I pleased. The fact was, these cap-
tains were very good fellows, and I soon found
myself quite at home in their company.

L 2

148 SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

One evening after this, I was alone in tlie office
of the newspaper, writing some " copy'' for which
the printers were waiting, when a tap carae to the
door of my sanctum.

"Come in," said Ij and then entered one of tlie
pilots of the port, who asked whether I belonged to
the staff of the paper.

''Certainly, my good fellow; and what good news
have you brought us ? "

''Well, sir, it's news that'll be like to make a
noise in town to-morrow morning."

"What is it?''

"This afternoon, about three o'clock, a large
whale stranded on the north end of Long
Island."

"Nonsense ! A whale ! Why, it's impossible."

"It's the truth, I assure you, and a 'right whale,'
too." *

* The head of a "right whale" measures nearly one-fourth of his
whole length. Two canals or vents, reaching from the depths of tlie
jaw to the top of the skull, enable the creature to breathe and spurt
forth the water which enters its throat. The double column of water
may be seen six miles off, rising to a height of twenty feet above the
level of the sea. The man on the watch then signals a whale, and the
ship is steered in that direction.

The aperture of the mouth of the " right whale" is large enough to
allow a man to pass down it. The upper jaw is furnished on both
sides with an apparatus of from four to five hundred fins, the parallel,
flexible strips which are known as whalebone. Each fin is fixed by
the upper end to the gum, which it traverses, and is embedded in the
bone ; but as there is a fringe of hair attached to the concave edge of
the fins which protrudes beyond the lips, the large blades of whalebone
which supply the place of teeth in the whale are improperly termed

THE GIANTS OF LABRADOR. 149

At first I could not believe the man^s story, but
he was apparently in his right mind, and spoke with
so much confidence that (reserving the power of
being able to say next day, " Ave were wrongly
informed ^^) I wrote the "par," which I sent to
the printer, Avith the last " slips " of my article.
After this, I went home, but about midnight it sud-
denly occurred to me to go on board the Jackson

beards. The whale has no teeth, and does not masticate. It feeds
only upon very small tish, and upon mollusks.

Nature has bestowed upon the whale swimming fins of a force aud
structure proportioned to its size, not composed of bones connected
with each other by membranes, but of bones articulated like those in a
man's hand. An enormous tail, laid horizontally and not vertically
(as the tails of ordinary fishes are), completes the locomotive apparatus
of the whale. The enormous layer of fat which envelopes the monster
greatly enlarges the volume of its body, aud keeps the water at a con-
venient distance from the blood, which, without it, would be chilled.
It also serves to preserve the natural heat of the creature.

The Cachelot {Macroccphalus) is less powerful than the "right
whale," and, although frequently of greater length, is always less bulky.
It is even more prized by the fishermen. It differs considerably from the
"right whale." Its lower jaw is furnished with conical teeth, some-
what bent backwards, the exterior of which has the colour and hardness
of ivory, but when they are deprived of their enamel they are softer aud
not so white. The sailors, who utilize every part of the Cachelot
whale, prize them greatly.

The whalers hold in inferior estimation the hump-backed whales
{Megaptera) and the fin-backed whales (Balcenoptera), for they give
much less oil than the "right whales" and the Cachelots, For all
that, however, when there is nothing better in the way they will hunt
the blowing- whale, albeit he is not more than twenty feet long by seven
or eight round. The last-named whale, be it observed, produces a
single barrel of first-rate oil.

For a long time it was supposed that there was only one species of
" right whale," and this error was persisted in until M. Delalande
brought to the Museum of Natural History the complete skeleton of

150 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

and inform my friends of what was going on at the
end of Long Island.

Everybody on board was asleep, except the man
on the watch, whom I hailed at once, telling him
that I had something to say to his officers. The
cautious sailor lit up the binnacle lamp, and giving
me a hand up to the deck, went to wake up the
two "twins," who at once asked me down into their
cabin. Their astonishment when I told them the
pilot's news was immense,

" Good gracious ! " cried the first. " If we could
start at once ! "

" Why not ? Let's make all ready without saying
a Avord to anybody. At daybreak we'll get our
papers all in order, and whoever goes to the Custom-
house can get aboard as the ship drops down the
bay to Sandy Hook."

one of these creatures taken in the neighbourhood of the Cape of Good
Hope, and gave M. Cuvier an opportunity of describing the remarkable
distinctions which exist between the northern and the southern whale.
The points of difference, as regards the osseous structure, consist prin-
cipally in the joining of the seven cervical vertebrae, and in the addi-
tional two pairs of ribs.

The head of the southern whale is much more depressed than that of
the northern ; its pectoral fins are longer and more pointed ; the lobes
of its tail are more indented. The whale-fishermen all agree in the
opinion that it is sensibly smaller than the Arctic whale, its ordinary
dimensions being from forty to fifty feet long.

It would seem that the equator forms, in some sort, a line of demar-
cation between the domains of the northern and those of the southern
whale ; but it may be easily supposed that all observations with regard
to the giant of the ocean must necessarily be somewhat inexact.

THE GIANTS OF LABRADOR. 151

So it was arranged. The crew was summoned on
deck, and were ordered to get ready to start " upon
urgent business."

" Get ready V cried the supercargo, '' why, we've
no provisions on board."

"No matter; it's only a three days' job, and
we've enough for that. Get new bread at daybreak
and whatever else we want. Come, lads, to work
and with a will."

At break of day the Jackson was in the river,
dropping down slowly with the tide. The second
captain was on shore getting the necessary papers
for the excursion, and by ten o'clock he came on
board in a boat which he had taken at the Battery,
followed by your humble servant, who had deter-
mined to seize so favourable an occasion for seeing
a little whale-fishing.

The wind was favourable to us, for it blew a fair
sou'-west as we passed the Quarantine and Fort
Hamilton. Beyond Sandy Hook there was a sea
running, and an hour afterwards we were sweeping
the end of Long Island with our glasses, in search
of the monster which was supposed to be stranded.

At last, on the end of a kind of sandy cape at the
extreme point of the island, we could see a black
speck lying between two little islets. We were
looking at this kind of ink-spot upon the sea, when
suddenly a sailor up in the shrouds sang out with a
stentorian voice the words which stir the heart of

152 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

every true whaler, liowever accustomed lie may be
to hear them — " A whale ! A right whale I There
she blows!" There he was, sure enough, the
monster whose arrival had been announced to me
by the pilot. Stranded on the bank, whither he
had arrived from the seas of Labrador, attracted by
some unknown cause, the monster (sick perhaps,
and unable to make further way) had given himself
up to the chapter of accidents. The tide had left
him dry the evening before, but with the flow he
had got once more afloat and was trying to find his
way into the open sea.

I should have mentioned that the crew of the
Jackson had been informed of the object of the
voyage as soon as the ship had got into the middle
of New York Bay; there was great excitement,
therefore, as soon as the whale was signalled. It
was something more than spoil to be taken posses-
sion of: it was a combat about to commence.

The ship advanced and was soon within a cannon-
shot of the giant of Labrador, who was throwing up
two spouts of water through his vents, and seemed
to be in excellent case, for the moment at any rate.

" To your boats," cried the captain wdio had the
management of the capture ; and every man was at
his post and the whale-boats were lowered into the
sea. The captains of the boats took the helms ; the
harpooners in front arranged their formidable
weapons, rowing at the same time; and the flotilla

THE GIANTS OF LABRADOR. 153

started in chase of the monster, who, directly he
saw his enemies, turned tail and fled in the most
cowardly manner.

It was a heautiful sight, and from the shrouds of
the Jackson I could see every incident in the
combat.

One of the whale-boats got ahead of the rest,
and the captain who steered it encouraged the har-
pooner by words and gestures. Presently the
implement of death was brandished aloft by the
executioner of the Jackson ; it whistled through the
air and entered the side of the monster.

Immediately the whale was struck, he began
lashing about fearfully with his tail, flapping his
fins Avith rage. If one of these blows had struck
the boat, it must have crushed it as if it had been of
pasteboard. But instead of attacking, the monster
evidently only thought of flight, dragging after him
the victorious whale-boat by the harpoon which was
fast in his body, and which was fastened by the line
through a ring in the boat. Presently the whale
dived, and when it came up again the sea was
reddened with his blood. The struggle lasted for
three quarters of an hour, and at last he rose to the
surface to draw his last breath, and lay there in the
agonies of death.

A few minutes afterwards, the captain steered the
boat alongside the whale, and finished him by plung-
ing a long hand-spear, as sharp as a razor, into the

154 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

part which corresponds with the lungs. As he did
this the boat was pushed off; for the death-struggles
of the monster, whose vents were now spouting
blood as an hour before they had spouted water,
were to be dreaded. The whale rolled his massive
bulk about and feebly defended the little life which
remained to hira. To hasten his end, the other boats
came up cautiously and attacked him with harpoons,
spears, and sharp spades, aiming chiefly at the tail,
where the larger blood-vessels lie.

By a happy chance, no accident happened in
capturing this giant of Labrador. Sometimes it
happens that a whale-boat and all its crew will be
dragged by the monster to the bottom of the sea,
and at other times the boat will be thrown up into
the air by the whale rising immediately beneath it.

At length, the whale breathed his last, as the
huzzas on board all the whale-boats informed us.
We replied lustily from the Jackson, which had ap-
proached the scene of the battle as close as possible.
And now another task commenced. The boats were
hoisted up into their places, and the ship was
brought alongside the whale, which was made fast by
a chain from the starboard quarter. The monster
was more than half the length of the vessel. The
sails were now brailed up by the captains' orders,
and two anchors cast. Next morning, the operation
of cutting-up was to take place.

All the preparations being completed, we sat down

THE GIANTS OF LABRADOR. 155

to diuner in a style tliat betokened something of a
festival. Every man had double rations, and there
vras grog galore. Presently pipes were lit, and there
were songs all over the vessel. It was a fine moon-
light night, and we enjoyed a fete which I shall
not easily forget. By midnight, every one was asleep,
except the watch.

At length the dawn arose, and everybody was up
and busy at work with the cutting -up. Tackle was
rigged upon the end of the yardarms, and spades
distributed among the workers. A sailor got down
upon the floating whale and passed around his fins
a chain of differently sized links, which was after-
wards lashed to a pulley. Whilst this was going on
the whalers were all armed with spades fixed to long
handles, and set to work at the cutting-up. A huge
slice of blubber was dug out with a fin, and then the
body of the whale turned round in the water like a
bobbin which is being unwound. As soon as the
piece was raised to the height of the yardarm, it
Avas hooked to another apparatus below, and another
slice was cut and hauled. An extraordinary activity
pervaded the whole ship, and never ceased until the
whole body was stripped of its blubber.

The next operation was to sever the head from
the trunk, and a number of men armed with axes
succeeded in separating a gigantic bone, and in so
dividing this portion of the carcase. The pulleys
were at once employed to haul the enormous jaws

156 SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

aboardj for the sake of the whalebone. The rest of
the body was given up to the sharks and birds of
prey, which came from every quarter of the compass,
and deafened us with their cries.

The blubber of the whale was laid out between
decks, in layers almost three feet broad by ten to
fourteen inches thick, and eighteen to twenty feet
long. It was afterwards cut into pieces and
thrown into large cauldrons, which were rigged up at
the foot of the mizen-mast. All day and night the
crew were busily employed melting the blubber, and
the sailors fed the fire with scraps soaked in oil. To
see these fellows employed in this horrible culinary
operation (the stench of which was abominable), one
would have thought them a troop of demons making
some charm or cooking for a witches' Sabbath. Our
ears were, in the meantime, regaled with songs,
sung with all the nasal twang of the Yankee, and of
the music of which Hossini, Bellini, and even Verdi
were entirely innocent.

Next morning early, our sailing captain (who had
left all the fishing operations to the undivided super-
intendence of the other "twin") set sail for New
York. As the Jackson was sailing on the larboard
tack, we held to the S.S.W., with a free wind and
all sails set, stern sails and topgallant-sails, the
foresails well filled, and the ensign hoisted. We
spanked on at eleven knots an hour, and the crew
was busily employed in stowing away the barrels of

THE GIANTS OF LABEADOK. 157

oil in the hold. "When we passed Fort Hamilton
about three o'clock in the afternoon, and were visited
by the Custom-house officers, all the Avork was
finished, and, an hour afterwards, the vessel was in
its old place in the East River.

"Whilst we had been absSnt after the whale, the
Sim (a rival of the Herald) had been very merry on
the subject of our " sell." A whale in New York
waters seemed to our contemporary to be a monster
without parallel, an abuse of public credulity for
which there could be no excuse. An article against
my little "par" had been published, with great
laughter at our expense. The public knew not
which to believe ; but the question was settled
next morning, when I published in the Herald a
full, true, and particular account of the voyage of
the Jackson to Long Island Point, and the Sun
(which had in former times published, as bond fide,
Herschel's* Voyage to the Moon," and other plea-
santries of the same kind, by the celebrated Edgar
Poe) had no reply to the detailed account which I
gave under the authority of my own name.

The catch was worth 500Z. to the ship, and one
fine morning I received a present which I still pre-
serve as a memorial of the expedition, — a beautiful
breast-pin, representing a golden whale, with dia-
mond eyes, — "a due acknowledgment," said the
accompanying letter, ''of the service rendered us on
* Qucere. — " Hans Ffall'a Vovage" ? — Trans.

158 SrOKT IN NOKTH AMERICA.

the night of the 22nd of March, 1848, and of the
profit which resulted therefrom/'

The fact Avhich I have just narrated is, in more
than one respect, exceptional. At the time when I
publish these pages, Labrador is all but deserted by
the whale ; its giants are dead, or have quitted its
coasts for others less frequented by man. In the
month of July, however, they appear occasionally
and then they patrol the coasts and the most
secluded bays in "schools."

In obedience to what law does the whale migrate?
After frequenting certain localities for centuries, he
suddenly disappears from them, and never returns.
Why is this ? How can we explain his" flight or
departure, the regularity or irregularity of his
nomade habits ? It has been proved by experience
that the whale can live in all latitudes. He is to
be met with even in tropical regions, the African or
Brazilian coasts, the Gulf of Panama, and even the
shores of Arabia Felix ; you find him under the
equinoctial line, for example, near Galapago Island,
and in the midst of polar ice, at 86 degrees of
north latitude, and also south of Cape Horn and
the Falkland Islands. Formerly, the whale abounded
in our own waters, and frequented the Bay of Biscay,
and even the Mediterranean, in schools.

It is certain that the whale is a creature of
wandering habits. Those which belong to the
western hemisphere frequent the bays on the west

THE GIANTS OF LABKADOR. 159

coast of Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to
about 10 degrees of south latitude. They stay there
until the month of September, and then bring forth
their young. They afterwards migrate westward,
towards the islands of Tristan de Cunha, or the
coasts of Paraguay or Patagonia.

But the pursuit to which these creatures have
been subjected by the whale-fishers has caused
many changes in their habits and localities. Cen-
turies have elapsed since whales deserted the Medi-
terranean, although, beyond a doubt, in former days
they appeared there, as w^e learn from Plutarch,
Pliny, and several other ancient writers. The
smaller kinds of whales were at this time the
objects of an important fishery in the Grecian
w^aters.

Later on, until the thirteenth or fourteenth cen-
turies, the fishermen of the Bay of Biscay followed
the whale fishery with ardour, and as they retired
further and further from the shore, the bold navi-
gators exercised their ingenuity in discovering the
places of their retreat. They pursued them across
the ocean, and reached even (so it is said) the shores
of Canada, discovering the banks of Newfoundland
on the way back, where they busied themselves with
fishing for cod. It is to these circumstances, doubt-
less, that the fable is due which was circulated
shortly after the death of Christopher Columbus,
concerning a Biscay an pilot, who (according to

160 SPORT IN NOETH AMERICA.

Fernandez Lopez de Gomara) had the honour of first
discovering the West India Islands.

The whale, tracked and hunted upon ever}^ sea,
has almost entirely abandoned (in our hemisphere
especially) his old localities. His movements have
lost their former regularity; his instinct (more
astute than that of other migratory fishes) has put
him on his guard against the dangers which menace
him periodically ia certain places. The giant of the
sea flies before man the persecutor, and seeks a
shelter in the icy regions of the north and south,
until, pursued even to those regions^ he re-appears
again in less inclement seas. This is why the loca-
lities of the fisheries change so often, and sometimes
so rapidly.

The Dutch organised a Avhale-fishery on a large
scale, and built permanent establishments at Spitz-
bergen. The creeks and harbours of a coast which
is now almost unknown were then annually ploughed
by from three to four hundred whale-ships. Groen-
haven bay, the great canal of Iszond, the coasts of
the island of Voorland and Smeeremberg roads,
were then the centre of an extraordinary amount of
business during the fishing season. The village of
Smeerenberg (which derived its name from smeeren,
to melt) was, although within a few degrees of the
Arctic Circle, well supplied with luxuries of all kinds
from Amsterdam. The departure of the whale,
however, and the maritime incursions of Jean Bart

THE GIANTS OF LABKADOE. 161

and DuguayTrouin, compelled the Dutch to abandon
a factory, the exact geographical position of which
could not now be easily discovered.

Eive-and-tsventy years ago, the eastern coast of
Greenland was thought by the English whale-fishers
to be an excellent place for fishing; but now the
whalers pass them without even stopping to look out
for the prey.

It has been said, and with reason, that the whales
quit' the icy zones in the winter to seek more
temperate latitudes, and it is easy to understand
that when they get among the icebergs they fly from
regions where they are in danger of being suffocated
among the ice, and of being deprived of the power
of breathing the atmospheric air which is so necessary
to their existence.

Two words more before I close. The flesh of the
whale has a disgusting flavour. Even the whale-
fishers themselves are of that opinion; but it is
strange how tastes change with the fashions. "Who
could suppose that, at one time, whale's flesh was
considered a royal dish in England? We have no
need to go back as far as the Saxons, who were
great whale-eaters, to find examples of this strange
taste. The whale was served upon royal tables as
late as the sixteenth century. In 1242, Henry III.
required the Sheriff's of London to supply his table
with a hundred dishes of whale's meat. All whales
caught off the coast Avere considered royal waifs.

VOL. II. M

162 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

They were cut into pieces and carried to the royal
kitchens. Edward II. rewarded three sailors with
twenty shillings for bringing a whale to the port
of London. Whales caught on the banks of the
Thames belonged to the Lord Mayor, and added by
their appearance at table to the magnificence of the
civic banquet.

In the thirteenth century, whale's flesh was pur-
chased for the table of the Countess of Leicester.
England was then provided with this much-prized
comestible by the Norman fishermen, to Avhom the
whale was an important article of commerce. The
Normans had a variety of recipes for cooking
whale's flesh. Sometimes they roasted it ; but more
commonly it was boiled, and served with peas. I am
inclined to think that a modern cook of reputation
would hesitate to serve fillets of whale roasted or
with sauce, and I am certainly of opinion that
very few epicures could be found to eat them.

X.-THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC.

I WAS on a journey to Cuba on board a sailing
vessel which had been towed into the gulf of
Mexico, near the mouths of the Mississippi. The
wind had lulled, and it was a dead calm. The sea

THE MONSTEKS OF THE ATLANTIC, 163

was literally like a mirror, vast and immeasurable,
and although the sails were unfurled, the ship did
not advance a hair's breadth. There it lay, like a
stranded whale, floating on the water. The tropical
heat, the burning sun, everything tended to render
the motionless condition of the San Christoval in-
supportable. One day passed in this manner ; then
two, three, and finally a week. If we gradually lost
sight of land the fact was due to the currents. In
fact, we were enjoying — if such a word can be ap-
plicable to our feelings — a dead calm, and it was
most irritating both to the crew and the passengers.
In vain did the captain exercise his ingenuity to amuse
the travellers who were under his care. His excel-
lent dinners, his musical soirees, and the dancing
parties which he organised were quite unable to dissi-
pate the weariness and impatience which fell upon all
who were thus imprisoned in the San Christoval.

The only amusement we had was that of fishing.
It was pleasant to watch the shoals of enormous dol-
phins playing along the side of the ship, their bronze
skins and iridescent colours sparkling and shining in
the sun. We amused ourselves with watching the
captain and sailors harpooning these monsters of the
Atlantic, and catching them with large hooks. It
was curious to watch these creatures dart at the
bait. As soon as they felt that they were hooked, they
hurried ofl" in a contrary direction, carrying the line
with them, and when they had taken it all out

M 2

164 SPOET IN NOKTH AMERICA.

and were pulled up short, they leapt into the air and
sometimes got loose. When, however, they failed
in this, we played them until they were tired and we
could pull them alongside and haul them up on
deck, where they jumped about from side to side,
until suddenly the body stiffened, and the gigantic
creature was dead.

The dolphins of the Gulf of Mexico go about in
parties of five or six, hunting their prey, as it were,
in a pack. Their favourite game is the flying fish
or the sea perch, which they will snap up under the
very sides of the ship. It is most amusing to watch
the dolphins in pursuit of the flying fish. The only-
means of escape in the power of the latter is the
rapidity of its fiight. They dart into the air, along
the surface of the water, spreading out their fins,
which are like large wings, and flying like a covey
of partridges when flushed in a clover field. The
flight is not a long one, however, and the dolphins,
by watching them, manage to catch the laggards as
they fall again into the sea. One of the most
remarkable circumstances about the dolphins is the
mutual affection which they manifest towards each
other. "When one of them is caught by a hook or
harpoon, all the others who are free surround him,
and seem to wish to succour him; and when the
captured creature has expended all its strength and
is hoisted out of the water, its comrades seem to sigh
over and bewail its fate. Yet a moment afterwards

THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC. 165

the sorrow seems all forgot, and the survivors dart
upon the bait as ravenously as before, and pay with
their lives the penalty of their folly or their courage.

One morning, it was the fifth after we started, a
burning sun was melting the very pitch on the ship's
sides, and no one cared to come on deck but the
sailors on duty, for fear of sun-stroke. Even these
brave tars had covered their hats with large white
linen cloths. The cook came to my cabin to tell me
that the sea all round the San Christoval was
covered with dolphins, and this, according to friend
Daniel (which was the name of our cook), was a sign
of a favourable wind.

I got upon the poop as soon as possible, and in
less than two hours Daniel and myself captured ten
dolphins by the aid of a slice of shark's flesh, a bait
which the dolphin prefers to any other. The dolphin
may, however, be classed among the gluttons, for he
will swallow anything when he is hungry, and I have
seen him caught with a bit of white cloth put upon
a hook.

In spite of the crowds of dolphins which sported
on the starboard and larboard of the San Christoval
there was still no breeze, and captain, crew, and
passengers, were all getting out of patience. For
my part, however, I consoled myself with the fishing.
After breakfast, I threw my hook into the sea, and
soon had the pleasure of seeing a dolphin take my
bait and run out the line. Some of these fish were

166 SPOKT IN XOKTH AMEEICA.

SO large that tliey seemed to drag the ship, and
I frequently required the help of two sailors to get
them on board. When lying on the deck, they beat
time with their tails as regularly as if with a drum-
stick. One of the most remarkable appearances
about these monsters was the chameleon-like shades
of their skin, which changed from gold to lapis lazuli,
and from that to emerald, sapphire, and silver. When
the belly was opened to take out the entrails and
cut the fish up in pieces for the cook, a basketful of
flying fish would be found lying side by side, all with
their tails downwards, which leads one to infer that
the dolphin follows the flying fish and swallows him
tail first.

The length of these dolphins varied from three to
five feet, and the weight was from ten to thirty-five
pounds. Their bulk is small when compared Avith
their length; the flesh is firm and white, and
resembles that of the tunny or sturgeon, though
somewhat insipid to my taste.

On the evening of that memorable day two sharks
were harpooned by our sailors. One was a female,
of seven feet long, in the belly of which were two
young sharks, alive, and quite ready to start on their
own account. One of them was thrown into the
sea, and he set off swimming as if he had been
accustomed to that exercise for years. The other
shark was a male fish. They both supplied capital
bait for the dolphin fishers.

THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC. 167

Next day, the calm was still unbroken, and as we
were getting rather tired of dolphins we threw our
lines for some of the sea-perches, which literally
swarmed around our stern. We caught them with
little pieces of bacon upon hooks whipped on to a
strong line. That morning we took 203 of these
fishes, and from three o'clock to evening 121. We
had a grand feast that evening, for these perch are
the best fish for eating that I know of.

Next morning, at dawn, we were in sight of Key
West, borne thither by the current, and without the
slightest breath of wind having bellied our sails.
The man at the watch had signalled a school of
porpoises * ahead, gambolling on the liquid plain.

* Some writers have classed the porpoise among the whale family,
as a smaller species. Its length seldom exceeds from ten to twelve
feet. Its exterior conformation, however, bears a very faint resem-
blance with that of the queen of the ocean. Its elongated head re-
sembles rather the head of a pig. Its jaws are furnished from end to
end with little pointed teeth. In its head is an aperture for blowing
the water, a faculty which earns for the larger species the nick-name
of the Whistles: Among the ancients the porpoise was accounted a great
delicacy. I am not of their opinion ; but there is no accounting for
taste. The Saxons called the porpoise sea-pig, and the ecclesiastics of
the middle ages gave him the same name in Latin. Porpoises were
purchased for Henry III.'s table in 1426, and they figure in the bill
of fare for a sumptuous banquet which was given to Richard II., at
Durham House, on the occasion of the solemn installation of Archbishop
Neville, when four of these creatures appeared upon the table. In
1491, the Bailifis of Yarmouth presented Lord Oxford with a fine por-
poise, accompanied by an address, in which they said that in their
opinion nothing could be more agreeable to his lordship.

At the marriage of Henry V. roast porpoises were served at dinner,
and were considered a great delicacy. At the coronation dinner for

168 SrORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

I had never seen these monsters of the Atlantic so
close before, so I scrutinised their movements with
some cm-iosity. I should have thought that they
rolled themselves over like a wheel ; but this illusion
is produced by the movement of two fins, each about
two feet long, which appear above the surface and
disappear with extraordinary rapidity. Sailors and
those who are acquainted with their habits testify
that the porpoise is very pacific, and lives principally
upon shrimps. The whale-fishers, however, think
them worth harpooning when they come to sport
under the stern of the vessel. The great agility of
the creature renders his capture extremely difficult,
and it requires no common amount of skill to transfix
him with the first stroke of the harpoon.

Porpoises have not been made the subject of
wonderful stories like the sharks ; but there are
maritime superstitions in which they take their part.
The sailors maintain that they always swim in the

Henry VIII. porpoises were also served. They were dished up roasted,
boiled, as pies, and, finally, as "delicious puddings." The recipes for
the proper sauces for porpoises have been preserved, and the poets of
the fifteenth century have sung of them. The flesh of the porpoise was
in favour until the sixteenth century. It was served at Wolsey's table ;
and when Somerset and other lords of the Star Chamber dined together
upon grand occasions, they enjoyed a porpoise which had cost about
eight shillings. Queen Elizabeth herself, (who was supposed to ha^e a
very finely educated taste,) pronounced in favour of the porpoise. It
was sold in market overt at Newcastle up to 1575, after which time
it seems to have passed out of consideration.

THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC. 169

they go to meet it. They are also supposed to foretell
bad weather, and there is a belief that they are
blind for one month in every year.

Their appearance was a good augury to our
voyage, and for this reason they ought to have
been spared; but, as with all kinds of sportsmen,
all is fish to the fisherman, and we set to work to
do our best to catch some of these monster fishes.
Throughout the day, they kept their distance from
the ship ; but after supper the moon rose brightly,
and enabled us to perceive three huge porpoises
within a dozen yards of the sides at the most. The
cook of the San Christoval, who was a very skilful
harpooner, quickly seized a weapon, and, during a
favourable moment, struck one of the porpoises right
between the shoulders^ just at the junction of the
head with the body, and with such efi'ect that it
could not free itself. After trying all it could, we
managed to haul it on the deck, where it gave vent
to a loud groan, flapped about its tail and fins, and
soon breathed its last. We left it there until the
next morning, and immediately after breakfast
Master Daniel invited us to come and see the
creature cut up. We found the intestines still
warm, and resembling in their arrangement those
of a pig. In the stomach were several cuttle fish,
half digested. The lower jaw projected beyond the
upper one by about seven inches, and both jaws
were furnished with single rows of conical teeth,

170 SPOET IN NORTH AMERICA.

each half an inch long, and so arranged that they
fitted into each other. The creature weighed four
hundred pounds. This was a favourable occasion for
examining at leisure one of the most curious speci-
mens of the monsters of the Atlantic, and as I saw
one for the first time, I did not fail to profit by it.

The next time I was present at the catching of a
porpoise happened at Sandy Hook, near New York,
where I had gone with some sporting friends. We
had gone there to fish for clams, and to enjoy a bathe.
We were seated round a capital breakfast, when one
of the blacks who were waiting upon us, came to
announce a school of porpoises within gun-shot of
the shore ; and there they were, sure enough. In a
twinkling, we had decided upon our plan of action.
We were twenty-three in all, and there were ten
boats at our disposal. We divided ourselves into
two parties, one going to the right, and the other to
the left, so as not to alarm the porpoises, and enable
us to get behind them in a semi-circle. Two men
got into each boat, and one pulled, while the other
stood ready with a gaff. Presently the two lines
began to draw together, so as to prevent the por-
poises from getting out into the open sea. As we
advanced, the porpoises Avere driven closer to land,
and we kept beating the water with our gafPs, so as
to make as much noise as possible. In a short time
the bottom became visible, and the porpoises began
leaping about like goats, and trying their utmost to

THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC. 171

escape, but v/e knocked them about without pity,
and managed so well that, out of fourteen porpoises,
nine "bit the dust" — of the waves; the others
managed to escape by diving, and we saw them no
more.

One of the most curious incidents in this adven-
ture was the feat of one of our friends, a certain
Dick Moon, who had -not swallowed a mouthful
when the black servant announced the arrival of the
porpoises. He jumped into the water, and seeing
one of the huge creatures within reach, caught hold
of it by the fins, and steered it towards land, where
eight victims were already lying side by side. A
paragraph went the round of the papers, recounting
this adventure, with all our names given at full
length, — a practice which is much in vogue in the
States, but which is scarcely in accordance with
European taste,

I must return, however, to the San Christoval,
now in full sail before a fair wind, which brought
us into the port of Savannah twenty-four hours
afterwards. As we went along we took a saw-
fish and a narwhal, — two other species of the
monsters of the Atlantic, which find their way into
our waters. The captain of the Sail Christoval (a
regular old sea- wolf, who had had plenty of experience
in the Labrador fisheries and on the Californian
coast, after whalebone and oil), gave me the follow-
ing account of these two creatures.

172 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

The saw-fish* sometimes attains a length of about
twenty feet over all, and is the most dangerous
enemy the whale has. It pursues the monstrous
cetacea Avherever it can find him, and attacks him
furiously with his long serrated sword, — a weapon
set firmly in front of his head. The saw-fish
sometimes approaches ships, as in our case, and in
the following, which the captain narrated.

During one of his whale-fishing expeditions, the
whale boat had come upon a saw-fish lying motion-
less, and probably asleep, on the surface of the
water, and the harpooner transfixed it firmly in
the middle of the back. Fortunately the boat made
ofi" at once, for the creature fought with a violence
and fury that might have endangered the boat and
its crew. After a few struggles, it dragged the boat
along with extraordinary swiftness, and the captain
of the boat was at a loss to know what to do under
the circumstances, for it was the first, and very pro-
bably the last time, that he had ever encountered a
saw-fish. He determined, however, to haul upon
the line, and so get closer to the formidable
brute ; but as soon as he got within a few yards of
the creature, it began fighting and diving down.
Eventually, however, they got it to the surface quite
dead, and towed it to the ship. "That saw-fish,"
said the captain of the San Christoval, "was only
eight feet long. Its skin was very fine, and of a

* Pristis antiquoi-um.

THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC. 173

grayish colour, and the flesh resembled that of the
bonito or the tunny. It had very large and hand-
some eyes. Generally speaking," he added, " the
saw-fish can only be taken after it has had a
desperate struggle with a whale, a spectacle which
cannot often be witnessed, but which, when it can
be seen, is sufficiently astonishing to amaze the most
experienced. The saw-fish travel in schools, like
the whales themselves, and when two parties meet,
the struggle sometimes has all the character of a
submarine battle. When they meet, the saw-fish
announce their presence by leaping up into the air,
and the whales serry their ranks and prepare for
action. The saw-fish then attack in line, and the
action becomes general. The saw-fish always endea-
vours to take its antagonist in flank, either because
its cruel instinct has revealed to it the weak place in
the whale's armour (a spot close to the lateral fins,
where a wound is mortal), or because the side offers
a fairer and larger surface to its blows. The saw-
fish, however, first recedes, the better to make its
attack, and if the movement escapes the watchful
eye of the whale, the latter is certainly lost ; but if
the whale sees the saw-fish at the moment when it
is about to attack him, he leaps out of the water
the whole length of his body, with an instantaneous
bound, and comes down again with a shock that
may be heard leagues away, lashing the sea into
foam."

174 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

The huge whale has only his tail as a weapon of
defence; and he endeavours to strike his dangerous
enemy with that. If he succeeds, a single blow is
sufficient, but if the saw-fish can avoid the fatal tail,
the combat becomes terrific. The aggressor leaps
out of the water in its turn, and falls upon the
whale, endeavouring, not to transfix it, but to saw
it with the teeth with which its weapon is provided.
The sea becomes tinged with blood, and the
whale is goaded into an ungovernable fury. The
saw-fish, however, manage to surround him, and
attack him on every side. He is very soon dis-
posed of then, and the saw-fish make off to other
conquests.

Sometimes it happens that the saw-fish is unable
to escape the whale, as it falls back into the sea,
and in that case it will offer its sharp saw to the
side of the gigantic animal which is about to crush
it, and dies, like Maccabeus, under the weight of
the elephant of the seas. The whale then bounds
again into the air, sometimes bearing his murderer
with him, and dies in the act of killing the monster
to which he falls a victim. " If you can picture to
yourself," said the worthy captain of the 8an Chris-
toval, " the sea boiling, as it were with foam, and red-
dened with the blood of victor and vanquished, and
the two hostile squadrons attacking each other with
the utmost fury ; if you can imagine the indescrib-
able tumult, the terrible shocks, the savage roaring.

THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC. 175

the wild bonnds, and the rapid assaults which dis-
turb the liquid plain, — that tempest of a battle, and
can reahse the appearance of the wild turmoil and of
the bloody' corpses, you will be able to form some
notion of the horrible reality."

Such tales of warfare among these monsters of
the sea might seem fabulous if our museums of
natural history did not contain specimens of the
weapon of the saw-fish which have been authenti-
cated as having been extracted from the bellies of
whales ; whilst those who have witnessed these com-
bats have waited near the scene of bloodshed until
they could gather up the relics of the struggle with-
out the slightest danger, and then victors and
vanquished have been boiled together in one
pot, and have mingled their oils in one common
receptacle.

I Avill not weary my readers by enumerating the
long series of names which naturalists have bestowed
upon the saw-fish, and of the distinctions which
have been established between the different species
of this clan of squalida, among which must be
ranked the narwhal, one of the most dangerous of
the enemies of the whale.

Inoffensive as he is, the mighty cetacean is ex-
posed to the attacks of a vast variety of persecutors
of every size — the shell-worm eats into his sides ;
the fighting dolphin {orca gladiator) attacks him ;
the saw-fish transpierces him ; man harpoons him,

176 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA.

and the shark then devours his carcase, and disputes
the possession of his remains with the birds of prey
that act as the scavengers of the seas.

It is said that the narwhals, or unicorn-whales
[monodon monoceros), form themselves into serried
battalions to attack the whale and finish him (so to
speak) at the point of the baj'onet. This, however,
must be seen to be believed.

The narwhal which we took had, like the saw-
fish, the exterior of his head armed. The weapon
proceeds from the jaw, is spiral, and seven feet long
or more, and is of a substance chiefly resembling
ivory. In fact, it is not a horn, as the name would
seem to imply, but a tooth. But there are other
fishes closely resembling it, and which are often con-
founded with it, which are properly called unicorns,
for their weapons are implanted in the midst of the
forehead. As the narwhal will never take a hook,
and can very seldom be harpooned, it is by no means
easy to capture it. It avoids large vessels as soon
as it understands that they are not big fish ; but it
sometimes happens that it mistakes the side of a ship
for a whale, and either yields itself an easy prey or
leaves its spear behind as the penalty of its rashness.
The narwhal is usually from thirty to forty feet long,
and dashes itself against the vessel with prodigious
force, piercing the sides and causing serious leaks, if
the horn does not remain to stop up the breach
which it has made. When the narwhal strikes the

THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC. 177

ship directly across or from the bows, tlie weapon
breaks short oflF and the creature turns and flees ; but
when it delivers its blow from behind, it is held on
to the sides of the vessel and is towed by it until it
falls into a state of decomposition. If, however, the
blow has been delivered near the surface of the
Avater, the horn may be sawn oflF, and the necessity
for dragging an encumbrance which would seriously
interfere with the ship^s course be avoided. If the
creature cannot be disengaged from the vessel on
the spot, it is usually done at the first port she
happens to touch at.

In our case, the narwhal that we caught thrust
his horn into the side of the ship and was unable to
withdraw it. They killed him with boat-books, and
taking advantage of a brief calm managed to ex-
tricate the spear and fish intact. When we arrived
at New York, the skin of this monster was properly
prepared and exhibited as a curiosity by Barnum at
his well-known Museum. It was twenty-six feet long
from the tail to the tip of the horn.

178 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

XI.— SALMON LAKE.

I AM aware that I am now taking an oft-trod road.
Thanks to steam, the Hudson is now a high road
which no man who has ever travelled in the
Northern United States can have avoided. Who
can tell how many pages have been written about
or sketches made of its banks ? And yet, in these
days of locomotion, where will you find a corner
which has not been exhausted by our modern scribes
with their books of travel and cheap lithographs,
even down to the painters of panoramas, whose
merits ought to be measured by the square yard ?
And yet, in spite of all that my readers may have read
or seen, the painter and the poet have yet to be
found, and the pen and pencil yet to be discovered,
that can do justice to the magnificent beauties dis-
played by the hand of the Almighty on the banks of
this noble river. "When you are embarked upon the
Hudson some fine morning iu spring, New York
Bay is a splendid introduction to the sublime
natural poem whose pages are shortly to be dis-
played before the eyes of the delighted traveller. To
the right, is the picturesque and confused mass which
a great city always oflers to the eye at a distance,
and across the forest of innumerable masts which
borders the quays to the left, the pleasant quarter of

SALMON LAKE. 179

Hobokeii stands in relief against the New Jersey
Hills; behindhand in the half-distance are the Battery,
Long Island, the Narrows, and a vast plain of water,
covered with sails just bellying to the breeze, and all
this, when bathed in the calm blue atmosphere of
morning, makes up a scene of incomparable beauty.
The right bank of the river soon comes forward, and
we enter the course of the Hudson, properly so
called. On one side is the wall of perpendicular
rocks known as the Palisades, and on the other the
imperial city of former days, succeeded by a con-
tinuous line of cottages and country-houses. Never
was contrast more complete ; on the one side
Nature in her wild simplicity, and on the other the
small and compai'atively contemptible creations of
our civilisation. The steamer, however, carries you
at the rate of twenty miles an hour, and you arrive
at the extremity of the Palisades. The river
widens, and cultivated agricultural land takes the
place of the gardens. Villages are grouped upon
the banks, and take the place of the country-houses.
A few more revolutions of the paddle, and the first
undulations which announce the Highlands are visible
on the horizon.

From that moment, and for about fifty miles
farther on, there is a panorama upon -which nature
seems to have lavished all that she has in the way of
magnificence and variety. The river passes through
a chain of mountains whose tops vary in height

K 2

180 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

from little hills to summits of fifteen Imndred feet
high. These hills border the scene like frames of
verdure around landscapes, and occasionally allow a
peep at some charming little scene where there is a
miniature valley, Avith pleasant little houses sprinkled
here and there with the first buddings of a modern
hamlet. Sometimes the perpendicular rocks em-
bank the very brink of the river, and sometimes
the chain seems to melt away into the horizon,
forming a vast amphitheatre, the farthest boundary
of which approaches again, as if to repose by an
almost imperceptible inclination in the bed of the
river. Here and there soars a lofty peak, clothed
with trees, whose top is lost in the clouds. In the
middle of the gorge which nature has hollowed out
through these undulations, flows the Hudson, describ-
ing a thousand windings and presenting pictures
infinite in number and variety. Sometimes it opens
a straight vista of five or six miles in length, and
then it deviates by a graceful curve, whilst further on
there is an unexpected angle or elbow. This last
variety (which is by no means common in the course
of great rivers) occurs here with extraordinary fre-
quency, and produces the most picturesque efi'ects.
In certain spots, — at Caldwell, for example, — a pro-
montory seems literally to bar the passage across, and
it is only at the moment when this is rounded that the
river reveals its course and opens a new horizon.
After quitting the highlands, a blue line denotes

SALMON LAKE. '181

another chain of mountains towards the west, a
chain more imposing than that which has just been
quitted. These are the Catskill Mountains, whose
summits attain a height of four thousand feet ; but
unfortunately for the curious they remain always in
the back-ground, and only approach the river to
retreat immediately into the distance. A volume
would be required to give the reader even the
faintest idea of the picture which I have audaciously
attempted to paint. How can I convey a tithe of
those thousand details which excite the admiration
every moment ? How paint the streamlet which flows
capriciously in a microscopic cascade down the face
of the rock, and falls like a silver thread into the
thick mossy carpet which lines the bank ? How
shall I describe the innumerable bays which are
formed by the banks of the river where it receives
its affluents, and the eyots which lie in the middle
of its course ? How enumerate, without making
my description as monotonous as an itinerary, the
towns, villages, and houses which arise out of the
banks, as it were, at every turn of the paddle, some-
times upon the summit of a hill, but most frequently
on the side of some gentle slope.

When the Catskill Mountains disappear on the
horizon, a new phase appears in the physiognomy of
Nature, The hills grow less in height and the woods
disappear, giving place to fields in full cultivation.
The farm and the manufactory have taken the place

182 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

of the country-house and the fashionable hotel.
In fact, we are entering at full speed an agricul-
tural country, the peaceful and laughing features of
which accompany the traveller up to Alban3^ He
quitted New York Avhen the sun had scarcely topped
the horizon, and has arrived at his destination when
the day is sinking into the west.

It was after a journey of this kind that I was
seated one evening in the piazza of the hotel at
Albany, and was thinking of returning to New York
(for I had transacted all my business), v/hen two
blacks came up, carrjdng in a large hamper with two
handles an enormous salmon, which seemed to weigh
from sixty to seventy pounds.

" What a monster ! " I cried. " I never saw such
a large one."

" Wall, but Frenchmen don't see everything in
creation," cried some one by way of answer, and on
turning round indignantly at this somewhat imperti-
nent observation, I saw that it proceeded from an
individual who was sitting, or, to be more accurate,
lying down in a rocking-chair, whittling a piece of
wood with a large bowie-knife. Directly I turned
my eyes on this individual, I recognised an old
sporting-friend, Horace Mead, of Philadelphia,
whose name has been already mentioned in my
volume on " Sport in North America."

" Can I believe my eyes, old friend ? Is it really
you?"

SALMON LAKE, 183

"Myself, and no one else, I guess. I didn't know
you at first 'till I heard your voice," replied Mead,
seizing me by the hands in true American style and
nearly wrenching the wrists out of their sockets.
" And what are you doing in Albany ? "

" I came to report the opening of the Legislature.
I've done my work and can now enjoy a week's
holiday."

" So much the better ! In that case you can
come on with me this evening to my shooting-box
in the Highlands."

"■ I certainly can't refuse, if you'll promise me
plenty of sport."

" Fishing's the great sport now, and you shall
have plenty of that. So finish what you have
to do here, and meet me at the bar of the hotel
about five o'clock."

At the stipulated time, I found Mead at his post,
imbibing a sherry- cobler with great gusto, whilst
a similar concoction was awaiting me. " Suck up
that," cried he, "and off we go." In a couple
of minutes, Ave had mounted the omnibus for the
steamer, and in a short time were descending the
Hudson towards Stony Point. At two in the
morning, the warning was given by the ringing of a
bell, and in a loud, intelligible voice that could be
heard all through the steamer : " Passengers for
Stony Point on deck ! "

It was a pitch-dark night, but thanks to the light

184 SPOllT IN NORTH AMERICA.

on board and the torches of the ferrymen at Stony-
Point, we landed without any mishap.

"We must put up at the Eagle Tavern until
morning," said Mead. " The roads between here
and my crib are not good enough to venture on at
night. Come on, old friend; follow me.'"

He led the way forthwith to a very comfort-
able hotel, where there was accommodation for
man and beast, and the landlord received ns
very cordially, for Mead was one of his best cus-
tomers. I found the sheet of my bed very white
and well aired, and the bed itself soft and com-
fortable, and soon fell so sound asleep that, at five
in the morning, when mj friend came to my
bedside, he had to give me a good shaking to
rouse me from the state of beatitude in which I was
plunged.

" Up with you, lazybones,'^ cried he ; '• I give
you ten minutes to dress in."

When I am travelling I never allow any one to
tell me twice of laziness, so I jumped up, washed
and dressed hastily, and in five minutes was at the
door of the tavern taking my place by Mead's side
in his waggon, to which was harnessed a capital
trotter, with a foot as sure as a mule of the Alps or
Pyrenees.

Mead beguiled the drive with many a story of
his adventures, and the time seemed short enough
when, on turning the corner of a gorge, he ex-

SALMON LAKE. 185

claimed ; " Here we are, my boy ; there's the crib
behind the little hill."

As he said this, we turned the corner, crossed a
wooden bridge which spanned the ravine, and found
ourselves opposite a gate or barrier which separated
the road from a small plantation of choice trees and
shrubs. The barrier was open, for the master of
Woodcock House was expected, and we drove along
a well-kept carriage drive, bordered by a slope that
was literally covered with junipers, chestnuts, and
clumps of rhododendrons, kalraias, and azaleas, grow-
ing out of the fissures of the rocks in the most
luxuriant fashion. Presently we heard the sound of
a waterfall, and crossed another bridge made of the
rough trunks of trees thrown across a very clear
and rapid stream. On the other side of the stream
was a green meadow, at further end of which was
an elegant cottage, built of wood, with a slate roof.
The walls of this abode were clothed with creepers
of various kinds, lianas, ivy, clematis, cobeas, and
roses full of sweet- smelling bloom, covering all but
the windows.

" "VYhat say you to this, my friend ? '' quoth
Mead. " This is my country box ; the only one I
have. Do you like it ? "

" Impossible to do otherwise."
" That's well. Hallo, there ! Mary ! "
In answer to the summons a pleasant-looking old
woman appeared at the door of the cottage, followed

186 SPOKT IN NOETH AMERICA.

by a black, who took tbe borse's bead, and wc
jumped out of tbe waggon.

" This is an old friend, Mary,^' said Mead, '' and
I recommend bim to your care; and tbese, my boy,
are my excellent bousekeeper Mary, and my faitbful
Tingo, wbo's as cute as be's black.'^

Thus saying, Mead led tbe way into tbe parlour
of tbe cottage, a little snuggery of some sixteen
square yards, with a table in tbe middle, and a large
fire-place in the Tudor style. Against tbe wall,
opposite tbe fire-place, was an oak sideboard, witb
bright pewter dishes, glasses, plates, and two flower
vases filled witb magnolias, verbenas,' and water-
lilies. Three engravings, representing hunting
subjects, and simply framed, bung against tbe
walls, and, above tbe mantel- piece, two stag's horns
turned upside down,* supported four guns in excel-
lent condition. In one of tbe corners of tbe room
were ranged fishing apparatus of all kinds, and a
casting-net quite dry and in a perfect state of
repair.

Mary served us an excellent meal, consisting
of delicious salmon, trout, roasted woodcocks, &c.,
followed by a glorious plum-pudding, and washed
down witb a bottle of claret, that would not have
disgraced a first-rate Paris restaurant.

* The antlers of the American deer curve downwards ; so that
in order to use them for supporting anything, they must be
reversed.

SALMON LAKE. 187

In the evening, Mead told me that next day
would be spent at his salmon lake.

"You^ll see such fishing/' said he, "as you'll
remember to your dying day. I must tell you that
I'm a kind of fish-merchant, and deal with New
York, Albany, and even Boston. My fishery is a
very good one, and clears me a good thousand pounds
sterling per annum. That's why I bought Wood-
cock House. It was shockingly out of repair when
I first came to live in it ; but I've a good nose, and
pretty soon reckoned up the possibilities,"

Mead then explained to me the nature of his
business in detail. He bred and collected salmon
and salmon trout, just as others breed horses and
rabbits. He had contracts with some of the prin-
cipal hotels in New York, and some of the larger
fishmongers in difi'erent parts of the country. His
lakes, ponds, and rivers were managed according to
a regular plan. Among other advantages, he had
but few neighbours, and his property was in the
midst of the Catskill Mountains.

Next day he had to supply a certain number of
salmon for New York, and to make up the order
great activity would be necessary. For the past few
days his men had been busily engaged in driving
the fish into a certain corner of the lake. The
foreman fisherman came that evening to make his
report, which was to the eff'ect that the fish were
literally swarming in Mount-top Lake ; and next

188 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

morning Mead and myself were there by sunrise.
It was a lovely sight. Before us lay the beautiful
lake, the extent of which was about a league squai*e.
The lake was fed by innumerable streams flowing
from the summits of the Catskills, and the overflow
was passed through a canal along the valleys until
it fell into the Hudson. It was by this watery way
that the salmon regained the upper waters from the
sea, as far as Cedar Lake, where they found plenty
of food, and bred in the most astonishing manner.
There were salmon in these waters that weighed up
to sixty pounds avoirdupois.

" Now, boys/' cried Mead, as soon as we arrived
at the fishery, where his men were all waiting for
him, " Ave must have a good haul this morning.
I've got to send sixty fish to New York and Phila-
delphia this evening. Is all ready ? "

" Yes, sir," replied the foreman ; '^ and we're
quite ready to begin as soon as you give the word."

" In with you, then," cried Mead.

There was a large boat, with an immense seine net
leaded and corked. One end was fastened to the
shore, and the boat pushed ofi* whilst the foreman
payed out the net, and the boat was rowed as quietly
as possible in a semicircle until we gained the shore
again. As soon as this manoeuvre was complete,
the boat went outside the semicircle, and eight men
began hauling in the net, whilst those in the boat
beat the water with oars and boathooks to keep the

SALMON LAKE. 189

fish inside the seine. In a very short time the men
hauhng on the shore felt sufficient resistance to
assume then that the draught would be a good one,
and in a short time, as the net was drawn upon
the shallows, we could perceive those movements
which betoken the presence of the fish. In a few
minutes, the net was drawn up, and we extracted
from its meshes fourteen salmon of various sizes
(the weight varying from five-and-twenty to forty
pounds), forty-five salmon-trout, with perch, carp,
and eels. All that were adjudged to be unsaleable
were thrown back into the water, and the remainder
Avere packed up with fresh weed in baskets and
carried to the fishery, where they were stored in a
cool cellar which had been excavated in the rock.
The net was then cast again, and the operation
repeated four times in the course of the day, and
when night came, my friend, instead of sixty salmon,
had sixty-seven to send to his correspondents. A
three-horsed waggon conveyed these the same night
to Stony Point, where the}'' would meet the steamer
to take them to New York and elsewhere. That
evening, as we supped gaily in the pretty little
parlour of Mead's shooting-box, he promised me
some good sport on the morrow after woodcock, and
sure enough we bagged nine-and-twenty, with the
aid of two fine pointers. That evening we had a
torch-light fishing for salmon.

" Take "ood care," cried Mead to the harpooner.

190 SPOET IN NORTH AMERICA.

as we got into the boat, " and let^s have no mis-
takes." Thus exhorted, the man never missed his
aim once. He stood at the brow of the boat, armed
with a three-pronged harpoon, to the handle of which
a strong hne was fastened by a ring welded to the
haft. As we gained the middle of the lake, the
foreman lit a torch, and the light was suddenly cast
upon the water, so that we could see clearly for about
a dozen yards ahead of the boat. A moment after-
wards, Mead pointed to a black spot which had
risen to the surface a short distance from us.

" A salmon ! '' he whispered in my ear.

Theharpooner had also seen the fish, and brandish-
ing his weapon Avith a sure arm, he struck the fish
so deeply that it was impossible for it to get loose.
At the same instant the line began to uncoil with
extraordinary rapidity; but before it was all payed
out it stopped : the fish was dead. The harpooner
and his two mates then hauled in the line, coiling it
as they pulled it in, and presently the fish was
brought to the surface of the water, and so into the
boat. It was a splendid salmon, Aveighing about
forty pounds, and in very fine order. Three times
did the harpooner throw his weapon, and landed a
fish every time. After this we had seen enough,
and went home.

It were needless to recount all the pleasure I
experienced whilst enjoying the hospitalities of my
old friend of the prairies ; but my readers will

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLA1>^D. 191

easily understand that I quitted Woodcock House
•with regret, and that I am always delighted at
receiving a letter from my friend, in memory of
past times.

XII.— THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY
ISLAND.

I HAVE often been puzzled to understand how it
is that the French cuisine has so entirely neglected
the turtle,* and has only succeeded in using it for

* Naturalists class the turtle among the reptiles, a numerous order
of vertebrated animals. LinncBus created the genus Testudo, and Bro-
gniart the family Chelonia, which he divided into eighty different species
and five sub-classes, viz.: the Testudlnidce, or tortoises; the Emy did ce
and Clichjdidce, or fresh-water turtles ; the Trionycidce, and the
Chelonidw. The general characteristics of these different classes consist
of the bony or horny shield, which takes the place of the skin-covering of
other animals, over the greater part of their bodies. Turtles are fur-
nished with skin only at the junction of the four limbs, and of the head,
which is covered with plates as with the lizards and serpents. This
shield, which joins the spinal process on its inner side, is divided into
two parts, the upper portion being called the carapace, and the lower
the plastron. The head of the turtle is of a pyramidal or triangular
form. It has small eyes, covered with three eyelids. Its neck is
capable of great elongation, and the toes of its fins are terminated by
nails. It has a vigorous stomach, and easily digests the mollusks upon
which it feeds. Its jaws are of great force. Its tardiness of locomotion
is proverbial, and its stupidity is not less remarkable ; yet it is easily
trained. The tortoises of Europe belong to the hybernating class of
animals, and^^sleep during the cold season. Feeding, reproduction, con-
cealment, and sleep — such is the existence of the tribe. Nevertheless,

192 SrORT IN KOETH AMERICA.

dishes the price of which forbid them to become
popular. Nevertheless, ancient authors, such as
Diodorus Siculus, Pliny, and Strabo, make mention
of turtle as a food very commonly enjoyed by the
inferior classes of society in their time ; and even in
our own days, throughout the whole of the West
Indies, and along the coasts of North and South
America, in the East Indies, Batavia, China, Japan,
and even in England, the meat of the turtle justly
enjoys the reputation of being a savoury and deli-
cate meal, and is indeed one of the principal national
dishes of the United Kingdom.

Great Britain is the only country in Europe
where the turtle is appreciated as it should be.
The importations to Liverpool, Southampton, and
London amount commonly to about one hundred
and thirty tons. To keep the turtle alive through
long voyages, they are placed in barrels set upright ;
but many captains are less careful of their freight.
They content themselves with turning them on their
backs, and watering them twice a day with sea-
water. On their arrival, they are stored in reser-
voirs, and fed up for use. It w^as Lord Anson who
brought home the first turtle that was eaten in
London, in the year 1752. The price of turtle
varies from one shilling to three shillings per pound,

it is a creature that maintains a firm hold of life. I have seen one at
Key West, the head of which had been cut off, but which ceyertheless
gave indications of suffering.

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 193

according to the supply in the market. It is strange
that France, which too often follows the example of
England in very questionable directions, has not
had the good sense to adopt this good English
fashion, so that the Parisian epicure might order at
Phihppe's or the Cafe Anglais a howl of turtle at
something like a reasonable price. Yet how rarely
does a turtle make its appearance in our markets,
and when it does so, how difficult to find a pur-
chaser ! I must confess that my compatriots in this
respect ignore " one of the finest dishes known,"
as an American called a boucan, the first time I had
the pleasure of tasting one.

This is an exquisite composition, and the flavour
perfection. Its appearance is peculiar, I must
admit, but it is not difficult to grow accustomed to
it. Let us suppose the plastron, or undermost shell
of the turtle, with a portion of flesh and fat still
adhering. This flesh is green in colour, and of
delicious flavour. It has been saturated with lemon-
juice, and flavoured with pimento, salt, pepper,
cloves, and eggs beaten up. It has then been
placed in the oven, under the superintendence of a
black armed with a spit, whose duty it is to break
up from time to time the crust which is formed by
the eggs, and to allow the same to permeate the
whole stew. When it is all cooked to a moment,
it is served quite hot, and meets with invariable
and universal approbation.

194 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

In the West Indies, tlie turtle is served in a great
variety of ways. They make it into soup, they
roast it, stew it, make it into ragout, fricassee, or
patties. Its fat, intestines, fins, and even its bones,
are good to eat. The Americans, by way of apply-
ing to it the highest eulogy possible, call it the
sea-pig. Not a very pretty compliment, surely !

The flesh of the turtle is not only agreeable to
the palate, but it is also very easy of digestion. A
large quantity of it may be devoured without the
slightest inconvenience. In Martinique, turtles are
sold at about a shilling per pound, and are conse-
quently eagerly sought after. About Lent, the vessels
which engage in this fishery quit the port of St.
Pierre to fish for turtles, and frequently return with
large cargoes.

The island of Hetera, one of the Bahamas, and
the furthest from the coast, is most celebrated for
its turtle-fishery. There are also Caiman Island,
on the extreme end of Florida ; and Marguerite
Island, on the Venezuelan coast. As, however, I can
only pretend to describe what I have witnessed
myself, I shall only mention the Island of Hetera,
where, fifteen years ago, I took part in a marvellous
adventure of turtle-fishing, which I shall now
narrate.

A few words, however, on the general subject of
the Chelonia, before I come to my story. Full turtles
(or as they are also called, green turtles) weigh up to

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 195

seven or eight hundred pounds ; but the largest are
by no means the best. Those weighing under forty-
pounds are greatly preferred. At New Orleans, I
heard of a monstrous green turtle which was taken at
Port Eoyal, in 1848, in Campeachy Bay, and which
measured four feet in thickness from the back to the
belly, and was six feet broad across the belly. The son
of a sea-captain, a lad of ten or eleven years, had the
shell of this monster given to him, and had it made
into a canoe, or coracle, in which he would venture
out some distance from shore. The fat of this
creature produced eight gallons of oil.

The cleverest fisherman at Key West* (where 1
went to spend a few days during the summer of 1848)
was a man named Downing. All along the Floridan
coast Downing, the mulatto, was known as the great
catcher and dealer in turtles. Mr. Elliott, of Sa-
vannah, a gentleman to whom I had been introduced
by a New York friend, gave me a note to Downing,
who received me very kindly when I arrived at Fort
Imperial, where he spent all the fishing season in a
delightful little house.

" I take such an introduction, sir,'^ said Downing,
" as a compliment, and will do my best to make your
visit agreeable to you. As you can spend two or

. * Key West, or Thompson Island, is about fifty miles from the
coast of Florida, and derives its name from the Spanish word Oavo
(a rocky islet), and not, as some apprehend, from the English word
Key. As a military post, it is of great importance to the States, and
a considerable amount of trade is transacted there.

0 2

196 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

three weeks here^ 1^11 arrange an expedition to
Hetera, and I'll wager that we shall have some sport
such as you have rarely seen. The weather's all in
our favour, for it's full moon, and I know where
to find some wreckers who are friends of mine,
and who'll wish for no better fun than to go with
us."

"Wreckers ! " cried I. "Is it possible you keep
company with such people ? In Europe, we always
set down ' wreckers ' as thieves ; sometimes even as
murderers."

" But in America, sir, they are a very different
race. ' Wreckers ' are fishermen by trade, but are
at all times ready to risk their own lives to save
those of other people. By the law, they are authorised
in taking possession of such Avaifs as the sea may
cast ashore. The insurance companies pay the
owners, and the poor bodies who do so much good
must live."

" Well, well, friend Downing ; it will be a new
sort of character to study, at any rate. And now,
how about the turtles ? "

"' Would 3^ou like to see my museum, sir ? "

" Your museum ? "

"Yes; my collection of turtles. They are not
alive, of course; but they'll give you a good idea
of the different species. I've fished for them these
forty years, and have collected the best specimens
which came in my way."'

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 197

"By all means let me sec them. I am quite
curious to visit the museum."

Downing opened a door, and ushered me forth-
with into a very large room, rough-cast with lime
from the floor to the ceiling ; on the walls were
displayed more than two hundred turtle shells of
all kinds and dimensions. I certainly had never
before seen so many specimens of the same genus
brought together.

" These, sir/' said he, " are the green sea-turtles.
There are four kinds of them, — the trunk-turtles, the
big-heads, the hawk\s-bill, and the green. The first
are the thickest, as you may see, and their backs are
higher and rounder; but their meat is sometimes
very unwholesome. It's the same with the big-heads;
no one ever eats them unless obliged. These two
kinds feed on the scum and other things which are
collected among the rocks and reefs. As for the
hawk's-bills, they get their name from the shape of
their heads. They have long necks, with a kind of
beak at the end, and their shells are used for
combs and cabinet-making. These also are not
very good to eat, and Fve known fishermen taken
quite bad from eating them, just as if they had been
poisoned. But here are two splendid green turtles,
for which I refused, when they were alive, twenty
pounds a-piece. You see Tm fond of my collec-
tion, and would sooner have that perfect than earn
a few more dollars. However, I beg your pardon,

198 SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

sir, for I must be only boring you with my non-
sense."

"Indeed you are not, my dear Mr. Downing,"
said I, examining the pair of turtle-shells against
the wall; " I beg you will go on."

"■ The green turtle," added the fisherman, " has
a greener shell than any other kind, and that's why
he's called as he is. They are the largest of all, and
sometimes weigh as much as six hundred and eight
hundred pounds. These only weighed three hun-
dred and eighty and three hundred and ninety-nine
pounds ; but their regular shape and the transparent
quality of the shell made me pick them out of twenty
which we caught in one day's fishing at Hetera,
and so I kept 'em, in spite of Mrs. Downing, who
was alive then — God rest her soul ! I kept them,
and cooked them myself, and they made the best
turtle-soup I ever ate in my life. But I hope I
don't weary you, sir ? "

I assured him that he did not, and he continued.
" The green turtle feeds on a kind of weed which
grows in the sea, in four, five, or six fathom deep
of water. This plant has a pleasant taste, and its
leaves are delicate, and a quarter of an inch broad,
by six inches in length.* It is to this peculiar food

* Marine turtles usually feed upon fucoids, hydrophytes, molluscs,
and the different species of algce with which the bottom of the sea is
carpeted. They may be seen in troops (just like shoals of mackerel or
herring) coming to feed on their favourite spots, at regular hours,
morning and evening.

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 199

that the green turtle owes the green colour of its
flesh and shell. The fat of this species is, however,
yellowish, and this peculiarity is noticeable also in
the turtles from Boccataro, Portobello, and the Bays
of Campeachy and Honduras, and on the coasts of
Jamaica and Cuba. At Port Boyal, they have reser-
voirs on the shore to keep the green turtles alive,
and supply the market, which is very abundantly
provided with this nourishing and succulent food,
and there it's sold cheaply enough for people of
small means.

" Now here (he added) are four turtles which were
sent me from the Galapagos, the Guano Islands.
Their shell is thicker than any others I have. In
fact, they are from two to three inches thick. Here,
on the right, sir, you'll find some fresh-water species.
Here are some luths, or leathery turtles — very extra-
ordinary creatures; and here some hecates, which
always remain in fresh-water ponds, and scarcely
ever come to land. Their weight varies from twelve
to twenty pounds, and they are round in form. The
terrapins are smaller than the last, and the plates of
the carapace are cut in a curious shape, beautiful in
workmanship, and nicely shaded. They live in damp
and marshy places. These are from the Island of
Pisces, near Cuba. You will notice that they are
marked on the back with several notches. It is the
custom of the Spanish hunters, when they find them
in the woods, to take them to huts, mark them.

200 SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

and let them loose again. When that is done, they
never go very far, and when the hunters go back
to Cuba, they will take Avith them four or five
hundred of these turtles, which meet with a ready
sale, for they are capital eating. Every man knows
his own by the marks.

" The fresh-water turtle of the States — and here's
a very fine specimen — has a mouth more like a toad
than anything else. Their limbs are so large, that
there is not quite enough room for them under the
shell, as is the case with the Emydidse, or terrapins.
These last have the peculiarity, that when the limbs
are all beneath the shell, the covering can be shut
up just as if it were a box, so as to conceal the
creature completely."

" I remember seeing that kind of turtle in the
New Jersey swamps," replied I to the mulatto.

" It abounds in all swampy places, and so do the
snapping turtles, or triones, so called because they
are savage, and are apt to bite those who try to
catch them. The last live on fish, water reptiles,
ducks, &c. You perceive that they have only three
claws, instead of four or five, and that their shell is
not composed of a hard and horny substance, like
the other varieties, but of a soft and thick covering,
which hardens in proportion as the trione grows
older. Look now at this land tortoise, with the
palmated feet. It is said that this kind will live a
hundred years."

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 201

I admired everything, at the same time lending
an attentive ear to Downing's explanations. After
which, as I was about to take my leave for
the purpose of returning to Fort Imperial, my
entertainer said : " Perhaps, sir, it may be a little
bold in me to invite a white man to my table, but
if you will condescend to take supper here, I think
I can offer a better meal than you are likely to find
at your hotel."

" My good friend," I replied, " it's all the same to
me what colour a man may be of, and I accept your
hospitality gladly."

" Thank you, sir," cried Downing, evidently greatly-
pleased with the compliment ; " and now you shall
have a supper all of turtle.'^

''All of turtle!"

"Yes, sir — soup, entree and joint, all complete.
A green turtle will supply our supper, and you may
rely upon my cooking. I've a reputation that way,
you must know, and am rather proud of it."

On this. Downing installed me into a comfort-
able rocking-chair under a bower of magnolias, and
having placed some capital cigars within reach,
betook himself to his kitchen with a young negress
servant, and left me to enjoy the pleasures of a
delightful reverie. It was not long, however, before
a delicious odour interrupted the course of my medi-
tations. The kitchen window was open, and that fact
accounted for the undefinable perfume which not

20^ SPOET IN NORTH AMEEICA.

only deliglited tlie olfactories^ but excited the hopes
of both palate and stomach.

At length he returned, dressed in a suit of white
linen, and the supper was served up forthwith ; Mia,
the negress, having dexterously laid the cloth, and
spread it with the proper complement of knives,
forks, plates, &c. Downing re-appeared with a
mighty tureen of turtle soup, of the excellence of
which he evidently did not entertain the slightest
doubt. This he proceeded to serve out with a
wooden ladle, duly apportioning the green fat,
forcemeat balls (of the size of a pigeon's egg), and
the yolks of eggs poached. The flavour and aroma
of the soup were delicious, and flattered alike the
palate and the nose. I had eaten turtle soup many
a time before at the tables d'hote of many a hotel,
but never anything so exquisite as this. Suffice it
to say that between us we finished the tureen.

After the soup, came a turtle steak, flavoured
with lemon juice and pimento; a succulent and
savoury dish, Avhich met with my entire appreciation.
The next dish served by Mia was composed of the
eggs of the green turtle, and was of a flavour and
perfume which astonished me. During the discus-
sion of these dishes, some excellent red still Catawba
was served, a wine which is not unlike our Beaune
or Joigny.* For dessert we had pine-apples, ba-

* The Catawba is a very sweet grape, and is capable of producing
an admirable wine. It is the best wine in the States, and the wine

THE TURTLES OF SAND -KEY ISLAND. 203

nanaSj and other delicious fruits. A glass of old
rum and an excellent Cabana cigar completed this
repast, the recollection of which still dwells upon my
memory, proving the truth of d'Aigrefeuille's maxim,
that the stomach is the most grateful of organs.

As we smoked our tobacco and sipped the old
rum, I asked Downing once more about the turtle-
fishing.

" Well, sir, for that matter you may start in half-
an-hour if you like, or you may wait till to-morrow.
In my opinion, the latter course would be the more
prudent one.^'

" I am quite at your service, my good friend," I
replied. " I have a week to spare, and I devote it
entirely to the pleasure which you promised me."

" Then this is what I propose. To-morrow morn-
ing, I will take you to a pond about two leagues
hence, which is full of fresh-water turtles, of a qua-
lity highly reputed throughout Louisiana. We will
stay there for one day, and the next go on to Hetera.
Never fear ; we shall find very comfortable lodgings
there, and you^ll be with some of the boldest sailors
in the States.'^

I left Downing at his own door and returned to
my hotel, where I very speedily sought my bed,
having it in view that we were to start with the

made of it is so good, and it pi'opagates so rapidly, that it is uot too
much to anticipate that, at no very remote period, America will be
independent of Europe for a large proportion of its wine supply.

204 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA.

morrow's dawn. At the appointed hour, Downing
presented himself at the door of the Fort Imperial
Hotel, and we were soon on the road behind a pair
of fast-trotting horses. In a very short time, we
reached the banks of a stream which flowed through
a deep ravine and was shaded over by lofty trees.
Following this stream, we reached a lake with grassy
margins, and of a form so completely circular that
one would have supposed it to have been dug out by
the hand of man to adorn the centre of a park or
garden. It is called Lake Worth. Downing had
brought lines in his pocket, and only wanted rods to
rig up the tackle. There was no great difficulty
about this, however; and our arrangements being
soon completed, we posted ourselves on the higher
parts of the bank, and threw our bait into the lake.
A few minutes afterwards, I noticed slight move-
ments of the water here and there, and presently
what looked like the heads of snakes popping up all
round.

" There are the turtles,^^ whispered Downing.
''Look out; they'll bite directly."

Presently one of them came near the bank where
Ave were standing, and I could distinctly see his long
head raised out of the water and looking about as if
he smelt danger. I turned my head to ask Downing
what to do, when I suddenly felt a grab at my hook,
just as if a fish had struck it. My surprise, however,
was great when I pulled up a turtle, — doubtless tlie

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 205

same Avhich had come up a minute before to breatlie
at the surface. It was not a very large one, and I
had no great difficulty in landing him ; whereupon
Downing, in order to prevent his escape, turned him
over on his back, and stuck four little wedges of
wood into the apertures where the fins joined the
body, thus preventing all chance of locomotion.

We soon had an abundant catch, and I had the
pleasure of counting upon the grass around us
fourteen turtles, some of them of very respectable
weight.

As I was quietly watching the four lines before
me. Downing called to me in a low voice and pointed
out at a distance of about a hundred yards, and near
the corner of a small stream which flowed into the
lake, an enormous raccoon, with his brown back,
sharp muzzle, and tail striped with black and white.
The*raccoon had not yet seen us, and, in ignorance
of his danger, he was creeping about stealthily, and
sometimes getting on the trunk of a fallen tree as if
to get a better look-out over the water. " The brute
has come to fish," whispered Downing.
" Nonsense."

" ^Tis true. The 'coons are very fond of turtle."
" No doubt ; but how will he catch one ? "
*' You'll see presently ; only have a little patience."
I took Downing's advice, who told me not to leave
the shelter of the foliage behind which we had con-
cealed ourselves ; so there I was, with my eyes wide

206 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

operi; to see what the raccoon would do. Would
he jump into the water and catch hold of the
turtle ? or would he wait until one of them came on
shore ?

The raccoon did neither. About two yards from
the place where he had concealed himself was the
trunk of a tree which was held on to the bank by its
roots, and to the surface of the water by its branches,
some of Avhicli, no doubt, rested upon the bottom.
The raccoon advanced with slow and stealthy steps
towards this trunk, under the shadow of which were
several turtles popping up their heads above water.
He never lost sight of them, and worming his head
through the roots, he placed it between his fore-
paws, turned his tail towards the water, and pushed
it on, little by little, until it almost touched the sur-
face of the lake, when he began to wag it about.
The body of the cunning creature was all the time
so rolled up into a ball that one would have been
puzzled to decide what order of the animal kingdom
he belonged to.

In a very short time, one of the turtles began to
take notice of this caudal appendage, which was be-
having itself in so strange a manner ; paddled slowly
towards it, opened its jaws, and seized the end of the
tail 3 but scarcely had it seized this new kind of bait,
when the raccoon sprang suddenly forward, dragging
the turtle after it clean out of the water, and throw-
ing it upon the shore, where, by means of its muzzle.

THE TURTLES OF SAND-IvEY ISLAJsTD. 207

it soon turned it over on its back, dexterously avoid-
ing all the turtle's attempts to bite.*

The " snapping turtle '' was now at the mercy of
the raccoon, who was about to enjoy it at his leisure,
when Downing took up his double-barrelled gun,
which he had brought with him, and we walked from
the shelter behind which we had been concealed.
Directly he saw us, and heard Downing's voice, th«
raccoon jumped up a tree and was soon at the top.
Unfortunately, however, for him, it was not lofty
enough, and when Downing sighted him among the
foliage, he handed me the weapon to shoot " the vil-
lain," as he called him. I fired, and down fell the
raccoon a few feet from the turtle, which lay strug-
gling on its back. The raccoon was an old male with
a splendid fur, which afterwards made me a magni-
ficent hunting-cap, care being taken to preserve the
tail, to hang down behind.

This diversion of our sport having come to an end,
we returned to our turtle-fishing; and when the time
arrived for our return to Fort Imperial, the waters
of Lake Worth had yielded up to us seventeen fine
turtles, including that which was caught by the
raccoon. One of Downing's men, driving a Florida
mustang in a light cart, took the fish and ourselves

* Not bad, M. Revoil. It reminds one of the story of the rat

■who emptied a flask of Florence oil, for the benefit of himself

and his companions, by the aid of the same "caudal apiiendage." —
Trans.

208 SPOIiT IN NOETH AMERICA.

to Downin;2j's home, where an exquisite supper of
turtle again delighted us.

It was on the following day that Downing had
arranged to start for Hetera^ where a band of
" wreckers " was to meet us and aid in the turtle-
fishing there. Close to his house, my host had a
handsome decked fishing-boat riding at anchor — a
Ipoat of about twenty tons, and manned by a couple
of hands. It was on board this stout pinnace that
we all four embarked on the morning of the 27th of
June, 1848. Thanks to a favourable breeze, we soon
found ourselves clear of the rocks and in the open
sea, dashing the white foam from our bows, and
speeding silently across the water as it sparkled with
light. Before us, and on either side of the boat,
shoals of flying-fish sported among the sea-weeds,
sponges, and corals, with which the bottom of the
sea was thickly covered. Afar off, we could see the
great Bahamas reefs, like so many points on the
horizon; but as we advanced they grew more and
more distinct, and we could see that they were clothed
with the rich livery of the tropics, and that they
offered to our sight a variety of shades and colours,
rendered still more delicate by the purity of the sky
and the brightness of the sun. It was like a fairy
spectacle, and in gazing on it I almost forgot the
first approaches of the sea-sickness which had already
begun to trouble me.

Three hours after quitting the mainland, we were

THE TURTLES OF SAND-lvliY ISLAND. 209

at Hetera, where we cast anchor in a deep creek,
sheltered from every wind. At the far end of the
creek we found a tent and a hut built of intertwined
foliage, which Downing told me was the home of the
''wreckers." They had just returned from a very
fortunate adventurCj which they narrated to us even
to the minutest detail. After Downing had intro-
duced me to their chief, we sat down to supper.

The "wreckers" had good store of fish, which
they served up with all manner of sauces ; venison
steaks had, however, the preference, and there were
roast wild ducks and curlews. It will surprise no
one that such a meal, set before men whose strong
appetites were sharpened by the salt air of the sea,
was disposed of in silence until the edge of hunger
was taken oil; but when the dessert was set on, con-
sisting of bananas and other Bahaman fruits, they
began to give toasts and sing. To this day I re-
member a verse of one of the wreckers' songs, and it
ran somewhat after this fashion : —

Sparkle flames with gleams of gold,

From the sea-crag let 'em flash,
Let them warn the helmsman bold.

Lest upon the rock he dash.
Wreckers ! lend a hand to save
Human life from wat'ry gi-ave !
But whatever we can snatch

From stern Neptune's gloomy powers,
In reward for careful watch,

Brothers, friends, the treasure's ours.
That is the law !
It is the law !

210 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

Two-and-twenty voices sang the chorus of eacli
verse, and I can assure the reader that, in the stilly
evening, this primitive concert produced quite an
imposing effect.

After that, we all talked about the peculiar fishery
which brought us to the Bahamas, and as night drew
on, preparations were commenced. It was necessary
to be on the spot some time before the turtles quitted
the water to lay their eggs in the sandbanks best
adapted for hatching the progeny. These little
islands, divided by deep channels and formed of
broken and comminuted shells, are close to the
great coral reef which is so frequented by the ocean
Chelonia. The whole bottom of the sea along the
coasts of Florida is covered with a thick layer of
coral, coralines, sea-weeds, and other crops of the
deep, which give shelter to an innumerable quantity
of Crustacea. About these sandbanks, innumerable
flocks of sea-birds are flying night and day, looking
at a distance like swarms of enormous flies. We
arrived at the great sandbank just as the god of
day was plunging into the sea. To any one who
has never seen a sun-set in these latitudes, it is
a grand and glorious spectacle, unequalled by any-
thing I know of. One-fifth of the vast, red disc,
whose dimensions seem tripled, has disappeared
below the line of the waters, and the part still visible
is adorned with a fringe of purple clouds which float
upon the horizon. Through the gates of the west

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 211

you may see the dazzling brilliance of the sun's glory,
and might imagine that you were gazing into a fur-
nace that bubbled with liquid seas of gold. On a
sudden, the orb disappears, as if it had plunged itself
into the sea, and the grey [veil which night draws
over the world ascends slowly from the east.

The sea-breeze freshened at the same moment,
and the terns. Mother Gary's chickens, and halcyons,
took the place of the day birds. Slowly in the dis-
tance sailed by a frigate, or some other vessel. Half
an hour afterwards. Downing, who was posted by my
side behind a heap of sand which served us both
for a shelter and a hiding-place, pointed out to me,
swimming slowly towards the shore with only their
heads above water, some turtles, which had all the
indications of being large and of good quality. I
could just make out their broad back-shells on the
scarcely ruffled surface of the water which separated
the islet on which we stood from the sandy shore of
its neighbour, and as they advanced slowly and
with effort, the breeze carried towards us the sound
of their quickened respiration, which indicated either
uneasiness or terror.

Suddenly the moon rose and lighted up the fan-
tastic scene. A turtle, having reached the shore,
was dragging its weight along the sand, for the fins
are better adapted for swimming than for waddling
upon the solid earth. At last, she reached the
desired spot and set herself laboriously to work,

212 gPORT IN NORTH A^IERICA.

dexterously throwing aside the sand under her to
the right and left, and when the hole was deep
enough she deposited her eggs in it, arranging them
ATith the greatest care, and covering them with sand.
Just as she was turning about to regain the sea,
Downing bounded on her, like a tiger on his prey,
striking her a severe blow on the shell close to the
head, which paralysed her with terror for a moment,
when he turned her over on her back, in which
position she lay, helplessly flapping her fins and
totally unable to stir.

We had barely regained our hiding-place, when
Downing called my attention to an enormous turtle,
which was making its way towards the shore. At
about thirty yards' distance from the sand, she raised
her head above the water and looked around her
with an unquiet air, passing in careful review every-
thing that was in sight. This done, she gave a shrill
whistle, which Downing told me was a kind of chal-
lenge or warning to any enemies that might be
lying in wait, and was intended to frighten them
away. As nothing stirred, she swam slowly towards
the shore, and came up the sand with her neck
stretched to the utmost. At last, she found a con-
venient place, and proceeded to act exactly as her
predecessor had done. In live minutes, she had hol-
lowed out, to a depth of about eighteen inches, a
hole in which she deposited her eggs, one after
another, to the number of a hundred and seventv-

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 213

seven; for we counted them before quitting the
island. These eggs, which were as large as hens'
eggs, were quite round and covered only with a
tough white skin.

This was a big-headed turtle, and Downing, who
knew how to manage with each kind, darted on her
suddenly before she had completed her task. He
afterwards explained to me that, until that was
accomplished, she was incapable of resistance.

" Help me ! " he cried, as he placed himself in
front of the turtle, and got his shoulder behind one
of the fore-fins, raising it slightly and pushing with
all his strength, and then, with a little aid and a
sudden effort, he got it on its back. As this turtle
was a very large one and began to struggle violently.
Downing deemed it prudent to tie up her fins in
such a way that it was impossible for her to move.

This done, Ave proceeded to make other captures,
and as the sport grew very amusing, we went on as
long as any turtles presented themselves to be
turned. When all was over, the wreckers, Downing,
and his two men, had caught fifty-six turtles in about
two hours and a-half.

As soon as they had stowed away the prey in the
bottoms of the boats, they began to hunt for eggs.
Armed with sticks or iron spikes, the egg-hunters
spread themselves over the sand, sounding it wher-
ever there were any traces of the turtles. It is
not, however, very easy to discover the exact spots,

214 SPORT IN NOllTH AMEKICA.

for the drifting of the sand, caused by winds and
waves, frequently effaces all the indications very
eflfectually. Before returning to Hetera Creek, the
wreckers, Downing and his men, and myself,
managed to turn up eighteen nests, and to gather
nearly seven hundred eggs.*

The take was a very good one, and when Ave got
back again to the tent at Hetera, a comfortable sup-
per was waiting for us, and as we were eating it I
heard many of my companions narrating a variety of
strange anecdotes concerning the sea-turtles.

Among other matters worth repeating, I noted
down these : — The green- coated turtles are so abun-
dant on these shores that five or six hundred men
could live upon them for many months without re-
quiring any other kind of food. The turtle of Hetera
are unusually large and fat, and their meat is so

* The eggs of the turtle are taken away, and frequently indeed con-
sumed on the spot, in large quantities. This will astonish nobody,
when I state that on some of the Bahama islets, and all the islands
known as Florida Keys, the eggs of many hundreds of turtles may be
found within the space of a mile. The green turtles dig a fresh hole
for each laying ; the second is generally close to the first, as if the
turtle had no recollection of its former misfortune. It is easy to under-
stand that the multitude of eggs in a turtle's belly are not all intended
to be laid in the same year. The largest quantity which a single green
turtle lays at once is about 400. When a turtle is taken upon its uesb
in the act of laying, the eggs are found in the body quite small, with-
out covering, and massed together in quantities numbering up to 3000.
A short time after they are hatched, the little turtles find a way
through the sand which covers them, and so into the sea. Nothing
can be more curious than to see this army of small turtles, not larger
than small crabs, crawling towards the ocean with great rapidity.

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 215

delicate that it is as tender as that of a fowl. The
way of taking turtles which I have described is not
the only one practised on the coasts of the Floridas.
The turtle-fishers lay enormous nets with large
meshes at the mouths of the rivers, and catch the
turtles in great quantities. Others use the harpoon,
but the turtles have such a power of locomotion that
they tell a story of a Caribee Indian whose canoe was
dragged for two nights and a day by a harpooned
turtle, and the poor Indian not having a knife, was
unable to cut the cord which fastened him to the
turtle.*

Downing himself had invented an apparatus for
taking turtles in the daytime. It was an iron imple-
ment, which he called the pin, armed at either end
with a point like a headless nail, something like
what net-makers use, quadrangular, flat at the sides,
and shaped something like the beak of a pick. To
the centre of this instrument, by means of a hole
bored through the pin, he fastened a fine though
extremely strong snood of wire about a hundred
yards long ; the rest of the line was of strong cord,
carefully coiled and stowed away in a convenient
part of the boat. One end of the pin fitted into an
iron socket which confined it, in such a manner as to
be readily set free, to a long wooden shaft, whilst the
carapace of the turtle could be transfixed by the

* Very good, M. Revoil ; but he might have untied it. — Tkans.

216 SPOKT IN KOUTH AxMERIOA.

other point. When the fisherman, seated in his boat,
sees a turtle come up to the top of the -water, he
approaches as quietly as possible, and, when he gets
within ten or a dozen 3^ards, he throws his spear right
at the middle of his back, so as to transfix him.
Directly the turtle is hit, the wooden handle is
loosened from the pin, the turtle, maddened with
pain, begins to struggle convulsively, and the more
it does so the deeper does the pin become inserted
into the wound, and after a great deal of cautious
playing the fisherman usually succeeds in bringing
his prey alongside. Downing told me that, in this
way alone, one of his men managed to catch eight
hundred turtles in one year.

Next morning at daybreak Downing awoke me
and took me to his reservoir, a sort of square con-
struction or wooden enclosure, built of enormous
stumps separated from each other, so that the tide
could get in, but the turtles could not get out. There
we found all the turtles which had been caught the
night before, having been brought thither by the
boats. They were crawling about and doing their
best to get out again to the sea. Flight, however,
was quite impossible.

It had been settled that we should spend two
days at Hetera, to fish and shoot. I enjoyed a good
deal of the latter sport along the shore and in the
woods, where I found a great variety of water-fowl,
besides stags, pheasants, parrots, and other talking-

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 217

birds. But the most amusing kind of sport, after
all, was the turtle-fishing as practised by Downiug's
men, one of whom was a very skilful diver.

The second day, after breakfast, Downing took me
out to sea, and showed me a large number of tur-
tles floating asleep upon the tranquil water, and
this was how the fishing was managed, without
implement of any kind. Pero (that was the diver's
name) stood up in the bow of the boat, and as soon
as he was within seven or eight yards of the turtle
he dived and rose close to the sleeping creature.
Then he seized it near the tail. As soon as the
turtle woke up, he began to struggle with his fins,
and this motion was sufiicient to keep it on the
surface, where it remained paddling about until the
boat came up and pulled in both man and turtle.
That day, I bade farewell to the " wreckers " of He-
tera, and returned to Fort Imperial.

On parting from my host, he presented me with a
splendid big-headed turtle, weighing over five hun-
dred pounds. I enjoyed in anticipation the turtle
suppers and turtle steaks, which I hoped to offer to
my friends in New York, whither I returned with
my prize, calculated the number of eggs to be found
in its enormous body, and pictured to myself what a
beautiful ornamental car I would have made of its
carapace, — a car in which Venus might once more float
upon the blue sea {" ccerideum mare''), on condition,
of course, that her doves would render their assist-

218 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

ance, and that no shark appeared to swallow up
the fair divinity. Occupied with these thoughts, I
embarked on board the steamer at Savannah, and
placed my turtle under the care of one of the sailors
on board, with strict injunctions to feed it with
vegetables and salt water. When Ave entered New
York Bay, the weather was calm, and feeling a kind
of respite from the sea- sickness, I mounted upon
deck. After taking a turn or two, I thought I would
go forward and ask about my green turtle.

" Well, Johnny, and how goes the turtle ? "

" Oh ! dear me, Sir.''

"What's the matter?"

"Oh! Sir."

" What is it, Johnny ? Is it dead ?"

« No, sir."

"What then?"

" Why, sir, it is "

" Come, come, you scamp, speak out."

" It fell in the sea during a blow."

I must confess that I did not put much faith
in this statement. I complained to the captain,
who answered me that he didn't know what I meant,
and that he wasn't responsible for passengers' lug-
gage ; so I was obliged to put a good face upon the
matter, and curse my bad luck at my leisure. So
ended my dreams of turtle suppers and the rest.

The very evening after my arrival at New York, I
was walking along the Broadway, when what was

THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 219

my astonishment at seeing, at the corner of Park
Place, and before the door of a celebrated restaurant,
a turtle exactly resembling that which Downing had
given rae, and which, if Johnny was to be believed,
had fallen into the sea.

^' I beg your pardon," said I to the bar-keeper,
"have you any objection to tell me how you became
possessed of that splendid turtle at the door?"

"Not the slightest," said he; "just as we were
shutting up last night, two sailors brought it here
and sold it me for six pounds. And I thought I
made a very good bargain."

" By Jove ! so you did ; and I, from whom that
very turtle was stolen, and to whom it really belongs,
will give you the money to have my own again."

I then explained to the bar-keeper what had
happened to me ; but as he had taken an order for
a very fine dinner to the Aldermen of New York,
which was to take place on the following day, he felt
obliged to refuse to do me the justice I required. I
complained to the chief of the New York police,
but got laughed at for my pains. Full of choler, I
rushed on board the steamer Rainhow, determined
to have my revenge out of Johnny, but he had
started that very morning for Boston, So I was fain
to swallow my grievance in silence, and to swear,
though somewhat too late, that if ever I had another
turtle for a travelling companion, I would have it
taken to my cabin and feed it myself.

220 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

XIII.— THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS.

I HAD often heard tell of the Sea Lion as one of
the largest seals of the Arctic regions, and many a
time, in my conversations with sea captains, who had
returned from Labrador, I had inquired about the
localities frequented by these monstrous amphibia.
It seems that it is especially on the coasts of the
State of New Brunswick, in Upper Canada, about
Chaleur Bay, opposite the Madeline Islands, that
the sea-lions are found in the greatest numbers.
The nature of the soil, the peculiar herbs that grow
at the bottom of the sea, the comparative tranquillity
that reigns in those regions, so remote from all the
haunts of civilisation, all concur in attracting them
to these waters, where morning and evening, and
sometimes at mid-day, the shore may be seen covered
with the sea-lion.

One day at New York, thanks to my profession as
a journalist and a traveller, I was informed that a
political meeting was to take place at Halifax, the
capital of Nova Scotia, and was requested to go
thither for the purpose of reporting the speeches and
debates, and telegraph them immediately to the
newspaper to which I was attached. I took my
passage on board one of the Cunard steamers, and,

THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 221

not forgetting ray portmanteau and gun-case, com-
mitted myself to the mercy of the ocean.

I will spare my readers the details of the passage
and of the political meeting, where the speakers
nearly came to blows and tearing each other's haii*,
after mutual abuse worthy of scavengers, and will
come at once to the adventure with the sea-lions
which it is my intention to describe.

In order to return to New York when my task
was over, I had to wait for the trans-Atlantic
steamer from Liverpool, which calls at Halifax ; and
what could I do to amuse myself for a week in the
capital of Nova Scotia ? The problem was difficult
of solution, and I should have had some trouble in
solving it, but for one of the "new friends" I made
during the first day of my stay in Halifax. " You
tell me,'' said he, "how fond you are of sport. If
you please, I'll introduce you to a cousin of miue,
Daniel Tevis, a great sportsman, and he'll show you
some fun before you go back to the Yankees." Thus
saying, he led the way to his cousin's house, and
formally presented me.

" You are just in time, good Sir," quoth Mr.
Tevis, after bidding me welcome. " Only this morn-
ing I received a visit from an Esquimaux, whose
acquaintance I made last year on the coasts of New
Brunswick. He is pressing me to come and share
for a few days a little hunting and fishing with his
tribe. He has come here, to buy ammunition, &c.,

222 SPORT IN NOETH AMERICA.

from the village of his tribe, which he calls Kama-
natignia. It stands somewhere near Gasp Point, at
the north of New Brunswick. If Ave start to-night
we shall get there to-morrow morning. How say
you?"

To run back to my hotel, dress myself as warmly
as possible, put together my gun, and procure all
necessary ammunition, Avas my practical reply to
Mr. Tevis's proposal, and when I returned to his
house ready harnessed and equipped for the march,
I merely observed, "Well, here I am. I hope I
haven't kept you waiting for me.^'

The Esquimaux, who Avas to be our guide, had not
yet returned, although he had promised my ncAV
friend to start before sunset, and we guessed it as
not improbable that he was lingering in some bar-
room, attracted by the charms of brandy, gin, or
rum. Our forebodings proved only too accurate,
for when the Avretch came to seek us towards the
end of the dinner which Mr. Tevis very hospitably
invited me to share Avith him, he could scarcely keep
his balance. Fortunately, hoAvever, though reason
had fled, he still had a little instinct left, and without
him we never should have found the road leading to
Kamanatignia.

When the sleigh arrived at the house, we all three
got into it, with our baggage and Mr. Tevis's dogs, and
the signal for departure was given. The horse, which
was covered wdth little bells, and made an infernal

THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 223

noise, was guided entirely by tlie Esquimaux's voice,
crying " Right ! '' " Left ! " " Straight on ! " At
about six in the morning, thanks to the moonlight
which had lit up all our journey, we arrived at a mass
of huts built of mud and clay, and covered with
pine branches. To speak the truth, the appearance
of an Esquimaux village is not very picturesque.
All around us were spread scraps and relics of fishing
banquets, tainted meat, and other abominations, the
nauseating smell of which was scarcely abated by the
severity of the cold. Nor was this all we had to
endure ; for as soon as the return of Maroah (as our
guide was called) was made known, and that he had
brought with him two gentlemen from town, the
whole tribe of Esquimaux, men, women, and chil-
dren, rushed out from their cabins and surrounded
us with shouts of joy. All these, without exception,
were so covered with dirt and vermin that at the
very sight of them we recoiled with horror. They,
however, paid little attention to the disgust which
they inspired ; the feeling of repugnance at anything
was unknown to them, and they could not under-
stand it in any one else. The rules of politeness
among the Esquimaux imperatively require that every
inhabitant of a village, from the oldest man to the
infant who has just begun to toddle, should come
forward, salute you and give you a grasp of the
hand, and this ceremony was gone through in our
honour with the greatest solemnity, and amid a

224 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

silence which succeeded preceding manifestations of

joy-
When this official reception was at an end, ray-
friend Tevis and myself had to snstain a fire of in-
terrogations which succeeded each other with great
rapidity, and Avere sometimes repeated by those who
had already heard our answers. "What country do
3^ou come from ? '' " Is it far beyond the sea? " " Is
it the country where tobacco grows ? " " Is it where
they make powder ?" To the questions, succeeded the
answers, and to the answers fresh questions. While
ray companion and myself were thus detained by the
men of the village, I observed an extraordinary
activity on the part of the female part of the popu-
lation. It was really a curious spectacle to see these
creatures, who are accounted beautiful by the majo-
rity of the human race, but who, under the forty-
eighth degree of latitude, certainly furnished an ex-
ception to that flattering description. The Esqui-
maux females, as they ran about from one hut to
another, looked for all the world just like witches
getting ready for their sabbath. The result of all this
tumult and preparation was, that a deputation came
forward to invite us into one of the huts, a gloomy
and miserable hovel, full of smoke, and populated
by myriads of various insects.

Tevis and myself made the best of the matter, and
when the fire which our hosts had lighted blazed up,
we did our best to conquer our repugnance. The

THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 225

interior arrangements of this Kamanatignian abode
were as follows : — The ground was covered with
beams, placed over each other so as to form a kind
of flooring ; the roof, which had a pyramidal form,
was covered with trunks of trees sawn into thin
planks, and covered with pine branches solidly-
fastened to a fragile wall. It is the custom of the
Kamanatignian architects to line the interior of their
erections with turf, so as to give more heat to the
inhabitants.

The Esquimaux's hut is usually divided into two,
throughout its length, (that is to say, from the door
to the wall at the farther end,) by parallel beams.
These are crossed by others, which extend from side
to side of the hut. In this manner, it is divided into
nine sections, of which the three nearest the door are
set apart for storing wood, clothes, household uten-
sils, &c. ; the three nearest the hinder wall are used
for provisions and the finer sorts of utensils. As for
the other three divisions in the middle, the largest,
which lies under the opening in the roof (which is
intended to allow the smoke to escape), serves for the
sitting-room. The compartment to the right of this
is occupied by the head of the family and his wife,
and that to the left by the other inhabitants of the
hut. If the family is very numerous, the less im-
portant members lodge how best they can.

The village of Kamanatignia did not, however,
entirely consist of huts. The Esquimaux had con-

226 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

structed, within a few yards of their dwelh'ngs, re-
servoirs for fish, built upon large beams, so as to be
beyond the reach of the wolves, foxes, bears, and
other omnivorous or ichthyophagous creatures. The
Esquimaux live principally upon fish, — fresh, salt,
smoked, raw, or cooked. During my stay with the
inhabitants of Kamanatignia, I experimented upon
raw fish, and I deliberately declare that, with the
help of a little salt, it is very passable food, and
with a spoonful of vinegar becomes positively
relishing.

All round the Esquimaux village we found sheep,
dogs, and small cows of the English breed, browsing
and feeding upon the stunted herbage within the
narrow limits of their enclosures. In winter, when
there is a lack of food, and when hunting is quite
impossible, and fishing is nearly so, these poor beasts
are slaughtered, and the meat is salted and smoked
for the sustenance of the Esquimaux, confined to
their cabins by the snow-drifts.

The cookery of the Esquimaux can boast of no
great variety of sauces, and has none of the artifices
of Careme and Brillat-Savarin. These would be of
little service to it, for there is no need to excite the
appetites of those who are always hungry. If they
kill a buck, they cook him in his own fat, after chop-
ping up the meat into small pieces. The tongue of
a deer is one of their daintiest dishes. The fat and
(above all) the marrow from the bones are looked

THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 227

upon as a regal delicacy. The Kamanatignians cook
the blood and eat it for soup. Sometimes they keep
it frozen up in the veins, and eat it in winter as if it
were a precious conserve.

There is usually a great deal of variety in the
larders of the Esquimaux hunters, or rather in the
game to be found hanging from the rafters of their
store-rooms. Almost every one at Kamanatignia
had good store of smoked bears' hams and grouse,
salted and packed in small barrels. During our
stay with them, they made sauces of great variety,
into the composition of which myrtle seed, juniper,
and stalks of angelica and rhubarb entered largely.
They made us taste preserved mulberries and an-
gelica, stowed in boxes made of birch bark, which
kept the fruits fresh, and preserved their piquant
aroma. The principal beverages of the Esquimaux
of Kamanatignia were diluted milk, meat soup and
broths, but principally pure water. In winter, the
cauldron placed on the fire, and fed with snow and
ice, supplies the Esquimaux with the means of
quenching their thirst, and they drink the warm
water without the slightest repugnance. A wooden
ladle is used to scoop the beverage out of the pot.

On the very evening of our arrival at Kamana-
tignia, Tevis, Maroah, and myself were seated by
the fire of our hut, enjoying a dinner which we had
cooked with our own hands, and which consisted of
fish, and broiled steaks of fresh bear's meat, the whole

Q 2

228 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

being washed down by a bottle of excellent port,
when the chief hunter of the tribe (who was named
Tucurora) asked permission to be allowed to hold
some conversation with the whites. Of course, he
came close upon the heels of his message, and after
he had squatted down upon a rein-deer's skin, and
lighted his pipe at the hearth, he began a series of
questions which were faithfully translated to us by
our friend Maroah. The upshot of the talk (thus
translated by an Esquimaux dragoman) was, that we
were to go and hunt for sea-lions on the following
day, and that the creatures were to be found in great
abundance on the little islets on the eastern coast
below St. John's. The greater part of these islets
were of so slight elevation that sometimes, when the
sea was tempestuous, they would be entirely sub-
merged. It was to these islets, nevertheless, that
the fishermen resorted to lie in wait for the herds of
sea-lions that came from the depths of the ocean to
repose upon their shores.

Usually, the Esquimaux fishermen endeavoured to
get to windward of the herd, so that the creatures,
whose sense of smell is very delicate, should not
suspect their approach. They took great care,
moreover, to speak very low, and not to make the
slightest noise. Sometimes it happened that whole
weeks would be consumed in efi'ecting an approach,
but in the end a whole island would be covered with
seals, each line as it emerged from the ocean driving

THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 229

its predecessor farther inland, and then the sea-Hons
would lie down and sleep in peace, quite unconscious
of the danger which threatened them. During this
sleep, the fishermen surround the island on all sides,
taking the greatest care not to awaken the game.

These details were very circumstantially described
to my friend Tevis and myself by Maroah and his
comrade, and we were deeply interested by them.
It appeared, moreover, that an Esquimaux, who had
been stationed as sentinel to watch the island nearest
the coast, had announced that evening, just before
sunset, the arrival of the sea-lions, and the chase
was arranged for the following day ; so that we were
just in time.

Our preparations were soon made. We had no
need of our guns, but of a peculiar weapon, of which
both Tevis and myself were to receive a specimen
before we started with the Esquimaux. What this
weapon was, Maroah refused to gratify our curiosity
by explaining beforehand. We were to be up at
sunrise, so taking his advice we retired early. I
will pass over the inconveniences of our first night
among the Esquimaux, and spare the reader a
description of the various and innumerable live-stock
which banqueted on our unhappy bodies. It is
astonishing what we may get accustomed to, and I
am almost ashamed to confess that, after the first
night, I paid very little attention to these insects of
prey.

230 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

About seven o'clock in the morning, Maroali pre-
sented himself at our hut, whistling an air, which,
as I afterwards learnt, was the national air of the
country. He found us already risen, dressed, and
ready to start. The Esquimaux carried in his hand
two weapons sharpened like a baker's peel {pelle),
with this difference only, that they were made of
one piece of wood. Fastened to his girdle he had
a third weapon of the same kind.

"Good morning, gentlemen,'^ he cried; "every-
body is ready and only waiting for you. Here are
your two knock-em-downs, and be sure you hit the
sea-lions hard over the head. If you don't, you'll
have to come back empty-handed." He then ex-
plained to us that these weapons were for the purpose
of striking the sea-lion across the face, so as to
stun him and render him as incapable of resistance
as a rabbit when he has been hit behind the head.

On quitting the hut, a strange spectacle presented
itself. Nearly two hundred skiffs were floating on
the sea, all made of branches of trees, with sea-
lions' or cows' skins stretched over them, and sewed
together with great care, so as to be quite impervious
to water. In these, were about four hundred and
fifty natives, aU armed with weapons similar to our
own.

The leader of the expedition, Tucurora, was in a
canoe of birch bark, a much larger boat than the
others, in which three places were reserved for Tevis,

THE NEW BEUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 231

Maroah, and myself. To jump in, crouch down, and
remain immovable, was the work of an instant. A
few minutes afterwards, the signal for departure was
given, and the little flotilla advanced in perfect order
over the clear waves of Kamanatignia Bay, every-
body keeping the most profound silence. The island
on which the sea-lions were to be found was directly
in front of us, and from a tree which was growing
on the eastern side fluttered a rag, the signal of the
scout who w:as lying hid among the branches of the
friendly tamarisk. When we got to the windward of
the island, Tucurora slackened the speed of his boat,
and the extremities of the line quickened theirs so
as to turn the sides of the island. In about a
quarter of an hour, the chief passed the question in
a whisper, and received for answer that the island
was entirely surrounded. He then gave the signal
of advance towards the island, and with the whole
line following his example proceeded to draw the
cordon tighter and tighter.

On looking towards the shore, which was of sand
and extended from some rocks to the sea, the
astonishment of Tevis and myself was indescribable
at finding it covered with animals lying side by side
as closely as possible. These were the seals {Otaria)
or sea-lions- These creatures difi'er from the common
seal in that they have a mane of curly hair over
their shoulders, and enormous feelers or mustachios
at least ten inches long. The conformation of the

232 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA.

muzzle and of the head resembles, moreover, that of
the king of beasts. Here, however, the analogy-
ends ; for, like all their congeners, desinit in piscem is
the rule which governed their creation, and the lower
end is broad and powerful, and, comparatively
speaking, as dangerous as that of a shark.

These poor lions (about the most inoffensive of all
the creatures that inhabit the depths of the ocean)
were sleeping soundly, and had not even set one of
their number to watch over the safety of the whole
community.

Tucurora led the attack. We saw him leap on
shore at a bound, and strike over the head an enor-
mous sea-lion that happened to be nearest him. The
other Esquimaux followed the example of their chief,
and the slaughter commenced forthwith, Tevis and
myself holding our own with the best, — such is the
force of example.

The slaughtered seals were heaped up on the mar-
gin of the water, and made, as it were, a kind of wall
to prevent the escape of the others. The seals were
thus quite hemmed in, and had no means of escaping
from the murderous blows of the Esquimaux. The
sea-lion, like the deer, weeps when he is about to be
killed, and the cries of these poor brutes more than
once stayed the arms of Tevis and myself. The Es-
quimaux, however, were less scrupulous. They struck
without mercy to the right and to the left, and every
blow was a mortal one. In less than half-an-hour

THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 233 I

the whole herd was exterminated, and two lions only, '

out of the whole lot, had escaped. The prey was j

divided between the hunters, according to the num-
ber that each had killed. After knocking over a seal,
the slayer set his mark upon it, making, at the same
time, another on his weapon, so as to check the tally.
Altogether, the number of seals massacred by the
party amounted to two hundred and twenty-nine
males and three hundred females, of all sizes.

The chiefs canoe made several voyages that day
bearing the spoil homewards, and so also did the
boats of other inhabitants of Kamanatignia. That
evening, all the seals were heaped up in front of the
huts. Next day, they set to work to prepare the fat,
skins, and meat. The stench that prevailed during
these culinary operations, — which was more like the
cooking of the witches in " Macbeth " than any more
civilised proceedings, — never have I experienced a
more abominable stink. By way of escape from this
pestilential atmosphere, my companion and myself
threw our guns over our shoulders and climbed some
of the hills in the neighbourhood after grouse. After
a great deal of trouble, we succeeded in bagging two
brace of those birds, and they served us for a capital
supper.

I may add, parenthetically, that the Esquimaux
do not use firearms to kill grouse. When the snow
covers the ground, they cut strong twigs of birch
and fasten them firmly in the earth. These twigs

234 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA.

are fork-shaped, and they have snares depending
from them of very simple construction. By way of
baitj a few juniper and birch seeds are scattered
around, of both of which the grouse are very fond,
and they fall easy victims to this method of catching
them. A single Esquimaux family will not unfre-
quently possess some hundreds of these snares, and
in a favourable year they will take from 1,500 to
2,000 head of game. In the spring, they will catch
the cock grouse without even being at the pains to
stir. It is only necessary to imitate the cry of the
hen-bird, and the cocks, without more ado, rush
straight into the jaws of the enemy. Maroah (who
communicated to us many details of Esquimaux
sport) told us that at one time they used to fish for
sea-lions in the open sea with nets ; but this method
was not much esteemed, for it frightened the am-
phibia, and consequently diminished the produce of
the fishery ; so it was abandoned. In the month of
March, when the ice is broken up and the icebergs
of Newfoundland and Labrador float past Kamana-
tignia, the fishermen again venture out in pursuit of
sea-lions, which may then be found lying among the
floes of ice.

Some years ago, the Esquimaux used to hunt the
sea-lions at the time when they returned northwards
to bring forth their little ones. The main object of
this was to get possession of the little cubs, whose
fur is very soft and white, and sells for a good price.

THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 235

The winter fishing, however, is attended with con-
siderable peril ; but neither the tears of their families,
nor the fear of the death which so often threatens
them, can restrain the inhabitants of Kamanatignia.
Accustomed to danger, they have only the profits of
their adventure in view. They start from home in
bands, carrying with them the necessary implements
and provisions. After two or three days' march,
they commence operations on the large bay which
extends northwards from about thirty miles above
Kamanatignia. This is a vast expanse of frozen
water ; under its surface large numbers of sea-lions
are to be found. When the females have brought
forth their young, they make holes in the ice by
melting it with their warm breath, and when they
have accomplished this they mount up upon the ice,
taking their little ones with them, which are then
quite at the mercy of the fishermen.

Sometimes it happens that, whilst the Esquimaux
are in pursuit of their prey, the ice breaks up and
they are carried out to sea on the' great ice floes.
Only imagine the fate of a poor wretch, floating hope-
lessly on, the mere sport of the current, and with
nothing to expect but a dreadful death; the very
ice beneath him wearing away, and melting gradually
day by day and hour by hour.

Usually the ice breaks up so quietly that man can
perceive no symptom of it. If a horse be with him,
however, he gives the first warning by sniffing the

236 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

air and beating with his hoofs. To convince him-
self, the fisherman then bores a hole, through which
he thrusts a stick, at the end of which is a rope with
a stone fastened to it. If the perpendicular line
changes its direction, the fisherman makes all haste
he can to the mainland, sometimes leaving even his
sledge and all its contents behind him. Sometimes
he has to throw himself into the sea, and gains the
land that way ; but if the ice-floe be too far from the
shore, he must perforce resign himself to his fate,
and take the chance of some unlooked-for aid.

During my stay in the United States, some months
after my visit to the Esquimaux, a Liverpool ship
brought to New York one of these sea-hunters who
had been picked up in the open sea near the 47th
degree of latitude, in the direction of the Faroe Is-
lands. The poor wretch had nothing but skin upon
his bones ; he had eaten absolutely nothing for thirty-
six hours. For fifteen days, he had been the sport of
the currents, and three times the berg on which he
was floating had rolled over and changed its position.
From what a frightful death had he escaped !

Seasons like these are, however, quite inoperative
to prevent the Esquimaux from fishing in the open
sea. Forgetful of past dangers, the love of gain
tempts him on, and again he starts on his perilous
journeys as soon as he can replace the sleigh and
implements which he has lost. Unfortunately, the
fate of som3 of these poor creatures is less fortunate

THE NEW BKUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 237

than that of the man who was picked up, and instead
of being rescued by friendly ships, the sea-lion
hunters perish miserably of cold and hunger, or they
are drowned in the icy waves, or crushed by the
breaking-up of the floes beneath them.

I will not inflict upon my readers an account of a
bear-hunt and an expedition after cariboo which
Tevis and I enjoyed with our hosts at Kamanatignia.
These two excursions among the woody mountains
which form the background of the bay of the E-iver
of St. Lawrence had nothing remarkable or charac-
teristic about them. We returned to Kamanatignia
with two bears and five cariboo.

Five days after our arrival among the Esquimaux,
Tevis and I started homeward in the direction of
Halifax, where I arrived just in time to bid farewell
to my excellent companion and fellow-sportsman,
and get on board the Canard steamer Asia. Twenty-
four hours afterwards I landed at New York to re-
sume my functions as a journalist, and to publish my
adventures among the Esquimaux of the bay of the
islands of St. John.

^38 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

XIV.— THE GREAT SEA SERPENT.

The bed of the ocean, by its structure and tlie
accidents of its surface, exactly resembles certain
parts of the dry land, which, at an epoch more or
less remote, have manifestly belonged to the oceanic
basin, and still present undoubted proofs of their
origin.

The lesser islands in the sea are nothing but the
summits of mountains, whose bases repose upon the
deep sea valleys, and in the intervals between are
ravines and rocky precipices, as steep, as irregular,
and as abrupt as those which we find among the
mountain chains of the continent. The lead-line
discovers eminences, mountains, and valleys, sepa-
rated by abysses, the arrangement of which is neither
less varied nor less astonishing than that which we
observe in the geodesic configuration of the dry land.
The submerged valleys are clothed with thick-set
vegetation, and are peopled by innumerable nomade
races,* and in comparison with some of the latter,
our land monsters, such as the elephant, the girafi'e,
the rhinoceros, and the hippopotamus, are little better
than pigmies.

* With submission to M. R^voil, it should be noted that the balance
of scientific opinion is against the existence of either animal or vegetable
life at the great depths of the sea.— Tkans.

THE GREAT SEA SERPENT. 239

The medium height of the dry land over the sur-
face of the sea is nearly three hundred and thirty
yards; in Asia, it is more ; in Africa, it is unknown .
in Europe, it is considerably below this estimate ;
and in America it is somewhat below it in the north,
and very much in excess of it in the south. On the
other hand, if the basin of the ocean were levelled,
it would lie at a depth of about four miles and a half
below the surrounding continents. Depths of the
ocean have been sounded to the depth of nearly seven
miles, and it is calculated that the sea covers three-
fourths of the surface of the globe. If, then, the
crust of dry land could be detached and cast into the
sea, the most elevated mountains would be insuffi-
cient to sound the greatest depths of the basin.
What is there, then, surprising, in the supposition
that in these unfathomable valleys there lie hid mon-
sters of the deep that only visit the surface upon rare
and extraordinary occasions?* The ancients, who
seem to have been much more favoured than we
moderns as to the apparition of these marine monsters,
have left behind them records which have frequently
been treated as fables, but which I thoroughly be-
lieve to be founded on reality. Among those mon-
strous creatures whose existence has been verified by
evidence which it seems difficult to distrust, is the
Kraken, or Mountain Fish, which must be one of the
most remarkable creatures in the world, both as re-

• Vide preceding note.

240 SPOKT IN NOKTH AMERICA.

gards its extraordinary size and its monstrous pro-
portions. It is true that tradition not unfrequently
changes truth into falsehood, and falsehood again
into a worse falsehood still; but the lovers of the
marvellous need not be ashamed to admit the evi-
dence of a tradition which has survived the attacks
of the incredulous from the very earliest times to our
own days. According to this tradition, when the
Kraken appears on the surface of the water it looks
more like an island or a reef of rocks than a fish,
and if, in swimming beneath the surface, it happens
to touch a ship, the crew will experience a series of
shocks, precisely as if some submarine volcanic action
were shaking them. Tradition also alleges that the
Kraken never dies, but that Nature has refused it
the means of propagating its species. Indeed, were
it otherwise, it would be difficult for even the ocean
to provide for a race of creatures so monstrous.
These traditions, it should be remembered, are
founded after all upon considerations which are only
supposititious ; but Nature has many such secrets
which are concealed from human knowledge. More-
over, it is not only upon the evidence of ignorant
and superstitious sailors and fishermen, that these
traditions rest ; more than one naturalist worthy
of respect has confirmed and corroborated, certainly
with some modifications, these traditions and le-
gends.

Erom the infinite number of tales relative to this

THE GREAT SEA SERPENT. - 241

monster of the deep I shall cite these : — About the
latter end of the eighteenth century the inhabitants
of the coast of Newfoundland, situate between the
48th and 50th degrees of latitude, and in the neigh-
bourhood of Pare Legit, remarked that the atmo-
sphere became so pestiferous, that when the wind
blew from the sea it was foul enough to breed a
plague. After searching about for the cause, it was
at last discovered that this horrible and dangerous
stench was caused by the carcase of a Kraken, which
was lying among some rocks in the offing. I can
find no record of the means used by the Newfound-
landers to rid themselves of this fearful nuisance,
but it was got rid of somehow, either by the help of
the waves or the sea-birds. At any rate, it disap-
peared, and the threatened scourge was averted.

I have read that a certain Bishop of Norway, having
heard from the fishermen that an unknown island
had recently risen up in Bergen Bay, determined to
celebrate Mass upon it. The surface of the island
turned out to be very soft and slimy; but by the aid
of a boat-load of sand, which had been brought for
the purpose, an altar was set up, divine service was
performed, and a cross erected in celebration of the
event ; when, just as the Bishop and his clerical at-
tendants were re-embarking to return to the main-
land, down dived the island and disappeared under
the waters, and it was then recognised that the sup-
posed island was nothing but an enormous Kraken.

242 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

An American captain, with whom I was very
intimate at New York, told me that in 1836, finding
himself among the Bahama Islands, his vessel was
attacked by an enormous polyp or Kraken, which
seized two of his crew with its enormous arms, and
dragged them into the sea. Their shipmates endea-
voured in vain to rescue them ; but the helmsman
managed with a hatchet to cut off one of the arms
of the polyp, and this monstrous limb measured
twelve feet long, and was of the bigness of a man's
body. I have myself seen this curious specimen in
Mr. Barnum's Museum at New York, where it may
be seen (in a somewhat shrivelled state) sealed up
in an enormous vessel of spirits of wine.

If any faith can be put in a votive tablet which I
have seen hanging against the wall of the Chapel of
Notre Dame de la Garde, at Marseilles, some sailors
were attacked by a Kraken, which |astened itself to
the masts of their ship and attempted to drag it
under water, in which endeavour it would have suc-
ceeded, if the sailors had not managed to cut off
one of its arms.

If we refer to still more remote ages, we shall
find that Pliny gives a description of an enormous
fish which was caught on the coast of Spain, which
weighed more than seven thousand pounds, and the
arms of which were so big that a man could not
grasp their circumference. The exactness with
which these ancient accounts agree with more

THE GREAT SEA SERPENT. 243

modern evidence leaves little room for doubting
the existence of this creature, whose proportions
seem to belong to the pre-Adamite period. The
only question is, whether the witnesses have not
been guilty of some exaggeration? Whether the
fear which the presence of a monster would natu-
rally inspire has not caused it to assume proportions
still more terrific than those which really belong to
it? Terror has a wonderful effect in multiplying
feet into yards, and perhaps it has even endowed
with the qualities of a living creature some object
floating in the distance which, on nearer approach,
might have turned out to be something very differ-
ent from what it was supposed to be. Not so. All
these stories are not mere fables. Even men of
science of our own days recognise the existence of
the Kraken, only they have given him a learned
name, that of Cephalopocl. Let the reader picture
to himself a soft, thick, viscous, muscular sack,
spherical in some species, and cylindrical or spindle-
shaped in others, changing its colours like a chame-
leon, containing organs of respiration, an apparatus
of circulation, a digestive canal, and a stomach
comparable to the crop of a bird ; put upon this
sack a round head, furnished with a pair of large
eyes, placed laterally, and between them a little
tube, serving, not for the nose, but for the excre-
mentary canal ; on the top of the head put a mouth,
consisting of a circular lip and armed with a pair of

R 2

244 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

vertical jaws, like a parrot's beak, and furnished
inside with a tongue bristling with horny protuber-
ances ; all round this mouth set a hedge of fleshy-
appendages, supple, vigorous, retractile, sometimes
longer than the body itself, and frequently armed on
their sides with two rows of suckers, and you will
have some approximate idea of the Cephalopoda, — so
named by Cuvier, because they have their feet on
their heads, — the appendages which I have just men-
tioned being, in fact, both feet and arms, and serving
for every purpose of prehension and locomotion.

The Cephalopods are mollusks of the highest
order. The nervous ganglions which are grouped
around the oesophagus give them a kind of resem-
blance to the vertebrated animals. They have a
lower order of brain, which is protected by a carti-
lage, which is a rudimentary skeleton, and commu-
nicates with the principal muscles. The circulation
of the blood is like that of fishes. The eyes of some
are quite like those of vertebrated animals, and in
all species the sexes are distinct. These character-
istics raise them to the foremost rank among the
mollusks ; nor are they without the dignity of an
ancient origin, seeing that their creation dates back
to very remote periods of the world's history.

All the known kinds of them are marine, and are
carnivorous. Some frequent the open sea, and
others hover about the coasts. The shores of the
Mediterranean and, above all, those of Greece are

THE GREAT SEA SERPENT. 245

infected by them. They cause very great destruc-
tion among the Crustacea and other fish, and their
hiding-places may be discovered by the proofs of
their voracity lying about. They injure the fisher-
men, both by destroying the fish and frightening
them from the neighbourhood, and the fishermen
take their revenge by killing them whenever they
get a chance.

When the Cephalopod attacks its prey, it turns, as
it were, on its back ; the sack is held up vertically ;
the arms are stretched out, the calamaries are held
horizontally, and thus they seize their prey. With
the larger kinds, their grasp is irresistible, and the
victim soon feels the bite of the terrible parrot's
beak, of which the extending arms are the pur-
veyors. Men have been killed in this way, and the
abundance of these huge jelly fish on the coasts of
Greece renders bathing there extremely dangerous,
whilst in the Polynesian Islands they are the terror
of the divers. The common Cuttle-fish of the Medi-
terranean is about two feet long, but there is a
species more than three times as large found in the
Pacific Ocean.

It is pretty certain, however, that Cephalopods are
in existence which far exceed in bulk the largest
proportions which zoological treatises assign to them.
Thus Peron found on the shores of Tasmania a
Cuttle-fish, the arms of which were from seven to
eight inches in diameter, and six to seven feet long.

246 SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

Messrs. Quoy and Gaymard found in the Atlantic
Ocean, near the equator, the remains of a monster
belonging to this family, the weight of which they
estimated at nearly three hundred pounds ; and in
the same waters Rang saw one of a red colour,
which was of the bigness of a large cask. M.
Streenstrup, of Copenhagen, has published some
interesting observations upon a Cephalopod to which
he gave the name of Architeuthis Dux, which was
thrown, in the year 1853, upon the coast of Jutland.
The body, which was cut up and divided among
the fishermen for bait, filled several barrows. The
pharynx was preserved, and was as large as a child's
head. A section of an arm, which was shown to
M. Dumeril, was as large as an average thigh.
Finally, in 1860, M. Hartiug figured and described
several parts of a gigantic creature of this kind
which is preserved in the Utrecht Museum ; but all
these accounts yield in interest to that which was
communicated a winter ago to the Academie des
Sciences.

On the 30th of November, 1861, at two o'clock
in the afternoon, the steam despatch-boat Alecto
(commanded by Lieutenant Bowyer) going between
Madeira and Teneriffe, and then being about forty
leagues to the north-east of the latter, met with an
enormous Cephalopod, swimming upon the surface
of the water.

The creature was from eighteen to twenty feet

THE GEE AT SEA SERPENT. 247

long, and it had eight forraidahle arms issuing out
of its head, each about six feet long and covered
with suckers. Its colour was a reddish brick- dust.
Its eyes, which were on a level with its head, were
of enormous size, and of terrible fixity. Its mouth,
which was shaped like a parrot's beak, was about
twenty inches long. Its body was spindle-shaped,
only much enlarged towards the centre. Its swim-
ming apparatus was placed in the hinder part, and
consisted of two rounded lobes of considerable
volume.

Finding himself in the presence of one of these
strange creatures which the ocean sometimes yields
up from its depths as if to put human science at
defiance. Lieutenant Bowyer resolved to examine it
more closely, and attempt, if possible, to capture it.
He stopped the engines immediately, guns were
charged, a slip-knot and harpoons prepared; but,
unfortunately, a strong swell which was running at
the time disturbed the arrangements, and the crea-
ture, which seemed to have a sort of intelligence of
danger, shifted its ground, and seemed to desire to
avoid the ship; the Alecto, however, gave chase.

At the first discharge of bullets which it received,
the monster dived under the ship and appeared on
the other side, rising immediately to the surface, and
waving its arms about. Another broadside of ten
bullets was then administered ; some of which passed
through the creature without effect, but others caused

248 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA.

it to vorait a large quantity of foam and blood,
mixed with a glutinous fluid which spread around a
strong odour of musk. After this, they managed to
get sufficiently near to throw a harpoon with a slip-
knot attached ; but the rope slid along the soft and
elastic body of the mollusk, and was only stopped
by the large swimming-fins. They then endeavoured
to hoist it on board ; but when the greater part of
the body had been got out of the water, the enor-
mous weight of the mass caused the ropes to cut
through the flesh, and the creature fell apart, the
hinder quarters only remaining in the slip-knot.
This was, with difficulty, got on board, and was
found to weigh about sixty pounds. Both the
officers and sailors of the Alecto begged to be allowed
to man a boat and attempt once more to bring the
creature alongside ; but the captain was afraid, lest
with its long and powerful arms it might succeed in
oversetting the boat and drowning some of the
men, and not thinking it right to expose the lives
of his crew merely to satisfy a sentiment of curiosity
(even although that sentiment had a scientific basis),
he gave up the chase, and soon lost sight of the
mutilated animal, which seemed to fly from the ship,
and to dive below the surface whenever they made
towards it. The pursuit of the creature lasted al-
together about three hours.

I myself have frequently questioned the Canadian
fishermen on the subject of the Cephalopods, and

THE GREAT SEA SERPENT. 249

many of them have told me that they have frequently
met, in the open sea, with large Cuttle-fish from seven
to eight feet long, and which they were afraid to
attack. To sum up, it seems impossible to deny that
the sea conceals in its profound and immeasurable
valleys secrets without number. The Sea-serpent,
which appears about once a year, and is described as
having the appearance of a number of barrels joined
together, may perchance be a Kraken or Cephalopod.
What are the Sirens * — those half-women, half-fish.

* The ancients divided the Sea-woman into two classes, — the Sirens
and the Nereids. The Siren is the ancient monster, with the head of a
woman and the tail of a fish. They were the daughters of Achelous,
and their names were Parthenope, Ligeia, and Leucosia. According to
the authors of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and even the eighteenth
centuries, however, the Sirens were more numerous. In 1614, an
English captain named John Smith saw in the West Indies a Siren, the
upper part of whose body was formed exactly like that of a woman.
She swam away with the utmost possible grace, when he saw her near
the shore. Her large eyes were roundish in shape ; her nose was well
formed, though inclined to be flattish ; her eyes were long, but of a good
shape ; altogether, she seemed a very pleasant-looking person, and her
long tresses gave her a strange appearance, which was not without a
certain charm. Unfortunately, however, whilst he was looking at her
the lovely bather turned a summersault, and Captain John Smith, who
was beginning to be rather smitten, could not help seeing that the lower
part of the creature was like that of a fish. It is true that it seemed
to be a fish with two tails ; but even two tails will scarcely supply the
place of a pair of legs.

Dr. Kercher testifies, in a scientific report, that a Siren was captured
in the Zuyder Zee, and was dissected at Ley den by Professor Peter Paw ;
and in the same report he makes mention of a Siren that was found on
the Danish coast, and which learnt how to spin and foretell the future.
This Siren had a very long tress made of charmed locks. She had an
ajCcreeable face, and arms much longer than those of an ordinary man.
The fingers of the hands were joined by a membrane so as to resemble

250 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

who, long since set down as fabulous, are in these
days half confessed ; above all, if we are to place any

a goose's foot ; her breasts were round and firm, and her skin was
covered with scales so white and so fine that, at a distance, they looked
like a perfectly white and smooth skin. She stated that the Tritons
and Sirens formed a submarine population, dwelling in caves inaccessible
to the diver, and lying on beds of sand, whereon they reposed and
lived.*

Jean-Philippe-Abelinus states, in the first volume of his "Theatre
de I'Europe," that in the year 1619, some counsellors of the King of
Denmark were travelling from Norway to Copeahagen, when they saw
a Merman swimming about in the sea with a truss of herbs upon his
head. They threw him a bait with a hook concealed, and the Merman,
being greedy, took the piece of bacon, and was hauled on board ; but
directly he reached the deck he began to speak pure Danish, and to
threaten the crew with shipwreck. When he began to talk, the sailors
■were greatly astonished ; but when he began to threaten they grew
frightened and threw him overboard, making the best apologies they
could. 'Tis true that, as this is the only example of a talking Merman
upon record, the commentators of Abelinus declare that he was not a
Triton, but a spectre.

Johnston relates that in 1403 a Mermaid was captured in Holland.
She allowed herself to be dressed, and accustomed herself to eat bread
and milk. She learned how to spin, but remained dumb to the last.
Dimas Bosque, the physician to the Viceroy of the Island of Manar,
relates, in a letter which appears in Bartholo's " History of Asia," that
one day, as he was walking along the shore with a Jesuit, a band of
fishermen came running towards the holy father and entreated him to
come to their boat to behold a prodigy ; whereupon the Jesuit accepted
their invitation ; and Dimas Bosque accompanied them. In the boat
they found sixteen fishes with human faces (nine females and seven
males), which the fishermen had only just caught in their nets. They
took them to the shore and examined them closely. Their ears were
protrusive like our own, and they were cartilaginous, and covered with
a fine skin. Their eyes were exactly like eui-s as to form, colour, and

* Once and for all, I must record it as my opinion that M. Revoil
has intended th's chapter as a je it cZ'cs^jr it, or perhaps as a record of
human credulity.

THE GREAT SEA SERPENT. 251

trust in the account wliich the celebrated English
seaman, George Anson, gives of that fish in the Phi-
lippine Islands which the Spanish have called pere-
mujer (almost a woman), and which, he assures us,
resemble, in all but their song, the Sirens of the
ancients ? According to Anson, these fish have im-
mense strength, and, in order to capture them, the
natives employ nets made of very strong ropes as
thick as the little finger, and when they are caught
they kill them with arrows.

The solemn voice of science has not yet pronounced
authoritatively with regard to the Kraken or Sea-
serpent; but I recollect that, in 1846, happening to
be at Newport during the month of August and in
the season of sea-bathing, I heard at the table d'hote
the captain of a whaler, who had arrived the evening

situation ; they were sunk into hollows under eyebrows ; they were
furnished with eyelids, and were not (as is the case with every other
species of fish) furnished with different axes of vision. The nose
differed only from the ordinary human nose in that it was slightly
flattened like that of a negro. The mouth and lips were exactly similar
to our own. The teeth were square, and set close to one another. The
breast was large, and covered with a white skin, through which the
veins could be seen. The females had round and fii-m breasts, and
were evidently suckling their young ; for, on pressing their breasts, a
white and very pure milk exuded. Their arms were long, more massive
than ours, and without joints. Below the belly, and where the haunches
and thighs should commence, there was a tail formed exactly like that
of a fish. It will easily be understood that this capture made a great
deal of noise. The Viceroy presented most of his friends with a Triton
or a Siren, and the residentiary Dutch envoy received for his share a
Siren, which he forwarded forthwith to the Museum at the Hague,
where it remains to this day, stuffed.

252 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

before, declare that off the Island of Nantucket he
had struck a Sea-serpent, and that the creature had
dived immediately, reappearing at a distance of five
or six hundred yards farther on, so that it was en-
tirely visible. According to his account, it was an
enormous creature, and although fear prevented the
sailors from giving chase to it, they kept it within
view with a glass for a considerable time, and at last
they lost sight of it in the direction of Cape Cod.
This story seemed to me at first to be little better
than a hoax, but the Newport journal published it
in extenso, and the editor announced, in an article
specially devoted to the subject, that a steamer was
being chartered to go in search of this Sea-serpent,
and to capture it if possible.

Naturally a lover of the marvellous, I quitted the
hotel and repaired to the office of the newspaper,
where I found the editor preparing to start. He was
going after the Sea-serpent, and directly I introduced
myself, he invited me to accompany him. Of course
I was delighted, and accepted the invitation without
the slightest hesitation. A quarter of an hour after-
wards I was on board the steamer, where I found
about a couple of hundred of amateur sportsmen,
armed with rifles and other firearms of every calibre
and description. Evening had set in, and when we
started the horizon was gilded by the setting sun.
An enormous crowd thronged the wharf as we set off
under a full press of steam, and everybody wished us

THE GREAT SEA SERPENT. 253

good luck. "We expected to arrive at Cape Cod by
daybreak, and as soon as possible after starting every
sporting hero began to make his arrangements for
the nightj — in hammocks and bunks, and some upon
benches and upon the floors, — ^just as they could
manage.

Gradually the flow of talk grew slower and slower,
and all grew still on board. Nothing was to be seen
but the binnacle light and the lamps over the paddles.
All around was as dark as Erebus. On deck, where
I remained to the last with my friend the editor, the
darkness was so profound that we could not see two
feet before us, so we lighted up our promenade by
the light of our cigars. After this we repaired to
the state-room, which had been set apart for us, and
I went to sleep dreaming of the Sea-serpent and of
all the American Eeguluses who, in a few hours,
were about to dispute with me the honour of the
victory. The dawn surprised me filled Avith these
thoughts, and as soon as our toilet could be com-
pleted, my friend and I were on deck, with a rifle in
one hand and a telescope in the other, sweeping the
horizon, which was still veiled in fog.

Gradually the deck became crowded, and nothing
was wanted but ladies to render the festivity com-
plete. Two hours passed in dire impatience, and we
had not even sighted the smallest cachalot whale, the
most diminutive porpoise, or the most insignificant
bonito, when suddenly a voice cried out, " I see him !

254 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA.

There lie is to the nor'rard, by Cape Corl. Look at
that moving mass, which looks like a number of
barrels fastened together. There he is!"

I must confess that at first I thought it was a hoax.
The fantastical stories which certain of the American
journals had published occurred to my memory.
Nevertheless, I desired nothing but the truth, and,
sure enough, with the aid of an excellent glass by
Chevalier (which always accompanies me on my
sporting expeditions), I certainly did perceive an
enormous fish twisting itself into the shape of the
letter S on the surface of a comparatively calm sea.
Without doubt it was the Kraken, or Sea-serpent :
the monster was no longer a myth, but a horrible
reality. Our captain made for the creature under a
full head of steam, and within a quarter of an hour
we had gained upon the Serpent, and could arrive at
some approximation as to his shape and length. It was
like a monstrous eel, but of great size in the middle
of the body. Its swimming fius were very long, and
looked like arms. The head was kept under water,
so that we could not distinguish its shape.

When we were about a cannon-shot from the Ser-
pent, one of the sportsmen on board was silly enough
to fire his rifle at it, and this bad example was im-
mediately followed by several. In a twinkling the
Serpent disappeared, and nothing could be seen but
a ripple on the surface of the sea, which rapidly
subsided.

ANGEL OR DEVIL FISH. 255

For five hours did the steamer patrol around Cape
Cod, and follow the windings among the islands and
reefs about the coasts of Massachusetts, but it was
only so much steam thrown away. The Sea-serpent
had betaken himself once more to his submarine
valleys, where there is peace. As for us, we were
fain to find our way back again to NcAvport. Fortu-
nately, it was two o'clock in the morning when we
arrived at the quay, and I was only too glad to dis-
charge my bill at the hotel and make my escape
quietly by the railway to Boston. There, at any
rate, I ran no risk of being chaffed about the Sea-
serpent which we had not caught.

XV.— ANGEL OR DEVIL FISH.

One of the most extraordinary fishes known is the
Diodon, which is called by certain naturalists, " the
Vampire of the Seas," {Cephaloptera vampirus). It is
also called both Angel and Devil Fish, and belongs
to the family of the Rays.

It frequently measures from twenty to twenty-five
feet in length, and at the root of the neck it carries
^ kind of caudal appendage about six feet long. It
is from six to seven feet in circumference, and from

256 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

three to four feet thick. The shape of the tail is
round, like that of a cow ; it is as moveable as
that of a dog, and is furnished consequently with
a contractile membrane. The teeth are, for the
most part, very small, and are set into the lower
jaw in rows of seven or eight. The whole body
of the devil fish is flexible; and one of the
most remarkable pecuHarities about this fish is,
that it carries between its very prominent eyes a
pair of horns, or rather barbels, some two or three
feet long, which it uses just as an elephant does his
trunk, to convey food (such as sea-weeds) into his
mouth.

The scales of the devil fish are bright blue, like
sapphire, and are arranged like a piece of mosaic.
This colour extends from the shoulder to the tail,
but the top of the shoulder is nearly black. Three
black stripes cross the back, toned gradually down
to the whiteness of the belly.

The devil or angel fish leave the depth of the
ocean and visit the bays of South Carolina during
the months of July, August, and September. They
may be seen swimming on the surface and jumping
right out of the water by the aid of two large wings
or fins, which make them look just like bats. The
devil fish are very graceful in their movements, and
when they are not wounded are as quiet as lambs.
They appear very unexpectedly, and it sometimes
happens that when the fisherman has been seeking

A2TGEL OR DEVIL FISH. 257

them in vain he presently finds himself surrounded
by a flock of them.

Directly the devil fish is struck with the harpoon
it starts away with unequalled rapidity, dragging
with it sometimes forty fathom of line and the boat
fastened to it. When this happens, the fishermen
take other boats in tow. When the fish has been
wounded by three or four harpoons, he fights like a
very devil, and the volume of water which he scat-
ters about him by his wings or fins is really amazing.
The sport is really a dangerous one, and it requires
no little skill and nerve to direct the harpoon with
a sure hand. The boats used in this style of fishing
are usually long and light, and are manned by six
or eight rowers. The practice of this fishing is
mainly confined to the shores of North and South
Carolina, where schools of the devil fish appear,
numbering from a hundred to a hundred and fifty
individuals.

The devil fish is very rare on the French coast,
. and the capture of one is always made the subject of
a wonderful paragraph in one of the local newspapers
of Normandy or Brittany.

Some naturalists mention that the devil fish feeds
upon the sea-weeds which float about in the waters
and upon all kinds of small fry. Their own flesh is
not very savoury, but they produce an excellent oil.
Marvellous stories are narrated of the immense
strength of this fish.

258 SPOET IN NOKTH AMERICA.

A very favourite place for catching this fish is
Bay Point, near Wilmington. There may be seen
amateur fishermen, armed with lances and harpoons,
embarking in small boats, rowed by three or four
niggers, and starting off" at high tide after devil fish.
The school always advances and retii'es with the tide,
so the great thing is to be with them at the top of
the tide. Their movements are as rapid as those of
a bird. The most favourable moment for striking
is when he has dived to feed on the sea-weed, and is
rising to the surface filled and satisfied. When he
does not rise quite to the top his presence may be
ascertained by a kind of white bubbling of the water,
as if it were boiling. When this is seen, the har-
pooner will sometimes strike his prey at a dozen feet
below the surface.

Sometimes the devil fish can be very mischiev-
ous. I have myself seen a number of them tear up
a row of piles which were driven into a sandy bay
in order to keep the shore from drifting, and tow
them out to sea. Mr. Stiltman, a planter, who was
the owner of the piles, determined to have his re-
venge, and gave orders to his negroes to launch a
fishing boat, in the which he and I and three niggers
forthwith embarked.

"Now, Pluto," cried Stiltman to his best har-
pooner, " let it be the biggest ^un of the lot."

" Yes, raassa," said Pluto in reply ; " hopes to gib
satisfaction to massa and his friend."

ANGEL OR DEVIL FISH. 259

In a short time we drew near the fish, and then
the oarsmen began to row more gently, until pre-
sently they stopped altogether. We were right in
the middle of them, and then the agile and skilful
Pluto transfixed an enormous fish, which darted off
like a horse at full gallop. The line shot out with the
rapidity of lightning, and when it was all paid out
the boat was towed rapidly through the water. The
devil fish could not get far, so he soon struck upon
the sand, and after a fierce struggle yielded himself
up upon the shore, where, in spite of all his resist-
ance, we soon managed to put an end to him. This
fish measured eighteen feet from head to tail. His
barbels were over three feet long, and he looked alto-
gether a most repulsive monster. This was the first
specimen of a devil fish I had ever been close to.

Next day, we resumed the fishing, Mr. Stiltman
having received intelligence of the arrival of eight
devil fish which had appeared off Hilton Head.
Pluto once more accompanied us. When we
arrived at the place, to our great disappointment
the surface of the sea was as smooth as glass.
Presently, however, Pluto exclaimed, "Dere he be,
the big debbil;^^ and there, sure enough, in the
middle of the bay was a tremendous fish raising
his back above the water, and looking very like a
rock which had been suddenly raised above the sea
by some volcanic action. I entreated Mr. Stiltman
to allow me to try my hand with the harpoon, to

s 2

2C0 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

which he readily consented, although Pluto handed
rae the murderous weapon with evident reluctance.
The first time I threw, I missed the fish for all
efi'ectual purposes, and only struck him on the tail.
He was soon at the top again, gambolling around our
boat as if he felt no damage, whereupon Pluto, with
a grim smile upon his thick lips, hauled in the har-
poon and re-coiled the line in the boat. Once more
I took my place, determined not to deserve any
longer the ridicule of my black friend. Waiting for
a favourable moment, I darted the harpoon at the
monster, which immediately dived.

" Missed again ! " cried Mr. Stiltman.

" Oh ! no. See there," I replied, pointing to the
line rapidly running out, and oflP started the devil
fish for a good two miles' cruise seaward, dragging
us after him. On a sudden he stopped, and, as he
was in all probability dead by this time, we began to
tow him to shore, and in a short time we had the
cable fast on land which was to pull him out of the
water, when, just as we were all ready for a long
and strong pull, we felt a tremendous shock on the
line. He was still alive, and made a tremendous
fight for it ; but eventually we pulled him on shore,
and made an end of him. He was not so large as
that which Pluto had caught, but he was not less
than fifteen feet long, and so it was not a bad harpoon
throw for a novice. When we turned him over we
found half a dozen sucking-fishes, or Remoza (com-

ANGEL OR DEVIL FISH. 261

i
monly called pilot-fishes) attached to the devil's
belly ; whereupon Pluto and Mr. Stiltman explained
to me that these parasites frequent the schools of
devil fish, and live upon the remains which the
larger fish leave behind.

A few days after this, Mr. Stiltman (who is one
of the most zealous fishermen I ever met with, either
in the Old World or the New), invited me once more
to go after some devil fish which had appeared in
the neighbourhood. They had been seen by a black
who was coming home from crab and oyster fishing
for his master^s table, and they were close at hand.
We were not long in starting, and in ten minutes
our bow was well aimed at a dozen splendid devil
fish who were gambolling about within half a mile
of shore. The weather was rather foggy, but the
sun did its best to penetrate the gauzy veils which
hung around. Presently, however, we found our-
selves enveloped in one of those thick fog-banks
which envelope you completely, and as, unfortunately,
we had no compass on board, we had no idea in what
direction to find the shore. Of course we had quite
lost sight of the devil fish, and as we were thinking
just then much more of our own safety than of catch-
ing fish, I really don't think we should have struck
one had he come alongside.

On the shores of North Carolina, a cold fog of this
kind is usually the precursor of a storm, and our
only prudent course was to get to shore as quickly

262 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

as possible. Mr. Stiltman and Pluto took counsel
together, and tried every means of ascertaining the
true direction. After hesitating for a moment, Mr.
Stiltman put the boat about, and the two blacks
began rowing their best. We seemed now to be all
right when, just as we were indulging in the plea-
santest dreams of security, a monster of tremendous
size and strength, puffing and blowing with enor-
mous power and displacing a large bulk of water,
came rushing upon us. Closer and closer it came
until Stiltman cried out, "Lost! lost! It's a steamer
upon us, and they're running us right down !" I
shut my eyes, expecting instant dissolution, but as
the huge body glided past our prow and swamped
us, the captain of the steamer being a humane man,
put the vessel about and we were soon on board
enjoying a tumbler of hot grog and a dry change of
clothes. This was all very well, but the reader may
imagine our dismay at learning that the steamer
was bound for the Havana.

'* Surely,^' quoth Mr. Stiltman, "you stop on your
way?"

" At Key-West," was the reply.

" That will do ; I'll get ashore there. And pray,
what may be the name of your steamer, cap'en ? "

" The Devil Fish," answered Captain Danielson.

" The devil it is," quoth Stiltman. " Well, I did
think the devil fishes of Hilton Head Vere my
greatest enemies, but now one has saved my life."

BLIND GUDGEONS OF THE MAMMOTH CAVE, 263

XVL — THE BLIND GUDGEONS OF THE
MAMMOTH CAVES OF KENTUCKY.

North America, a country where nature affects
proportions which belong not only to the sublime
but almost to the impossible, had no marvel more :

extraordinary than the Falls of Niagara when, in
1840, certain miners, who were engaged in excava-
ting nitre from one of the numerous caves in the
State of Kentucky, found themselves wandering j

about among their inexplorable sinuosities, and were j

shut up there for seventy hours without being able
to find their way out. These were the daring ex-
plorers who discovered the Mammoth Caves, and it j
is in the Mammoth Caves that the blind gudgeons — '
are found.

I first heard of these fish from three of the most
charming ladies of Lexington, who proposed to con-
duct me on an excursion to the Mammoth Caves. I
Mr. Rush (the husband of one of them) arranged all 1
the details of the party and superintended the pre-
parations, and next morning at day-break we started i
from E-ush's Bee-Hive (as he called his country-
house), and soon found ourselves skirting the base 1 '
of the Cumberland Mountains and the sinuous banks '
of Green River, until we came to the opening of the :

264 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

Mammoth Caves, among a number of gray and bare
limestone rocks. There is a splendid hotel in the
vicinity, furnished with taste, and offering every
comfort and accommodation to the traveller. The
opening into the caves is within a very short distance
of the hotel. A limpid stream of water noiselessly
percolates down the rock and disappears in a kind of
basin below.

I pass over many of the curiosities which render
those vast natural caverns so remarkable. One of
the passages is called Audubon^s Avenue. Its walls
are polished like marble, and it is rather more than
a mile long. At the farther end is a well or pond,
about twenty-five feet deep, filled with water as clear
as crystal. Returning, we found a passage called the
Great Gallery, which is a large tunnel measuring
some eighteen yards in height and width, and leading
to Kentucky Cliffs — so called from the resemblance
which they bear to the perpendicular banks which
border the Kentucky River. Descending at once
by about twenty steps, we found ourselves in a kind
of hall, which was more like a church in which five
thousand people could be collected, than anything
else. Beyond this, there is the largest saltpetre
mine in the world, and, a little way on, the Gothic
Avenue.

This led us to other places of interest in the Mam-
moth Caves, all of which we examined carefully.
We dined at the foot of the cataract, where there

BLIND GUDGEONS OF THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 265

is a convenient place for that purpose, on the re-
past which our host had provided for us ; and that
ceremony concluded we began once more our explo-
ration of the Mammoth Caves. In answer to a
question which I addressed to Mr. Edmund Rush
with regard to the blind fish, he told me that we
had yet many hours to pass in the caves before
reaching the lake where they were to be found.

After a time, we reached the Temple, which is a
circular grotto, much larger than that of Antiparos,
and here it is where the travellers who undertake to
explore these giant caves usually pass the night.
For this purpose, we had brought with us some ham-
mocks, which were soon slung from staples firmly
fixed in the walls of the Temple, and we all sought
the comfort of repose.

We were all up again next morning at six o'clock,
enjoying the coffee and breakfast which had been
prepared, and pressed onwards to the other wonders
of the caves. In one of them we found a cataract
called the Maelstrom, a subterranean whirlpool, the
waters of which flow none knows whither. One of our
guides related to us a stirring anecdote of a young
man from Louisville who had explored the depths of
the hole in which the whirlpool was, and had barely
escaped with life. Hence we passed along Pentico
Avenue, and so on by the Bunch of Pineapples (a
splendid mass of stalagmites), the Zig-zags, and the
Eandit's Halt, until we came to the lake in which

266 SPOET IN NORTH AMERICA.

the blind gudgeons were to be found. This lake is
more than three hundred yards below the surface of
the earth, and is justly considered to be one of the
wonders of the world. -

This vast subterranean Dead Sea seems to have no
tide or current, but its waters are doubtless supplied
and renewed from some invisible source. There was
a boat, into which we entered, bearing torches in
our hand and looking very like the passengers whom
Charon ferries over the infernal Styx. We had with
us a square net with a pocket in the centre, and at
three dips, without any difficulty, we landed over
two hundred gudgeons exactly like those of our
rivers, with this exception, that they have no eyes.
I took several of these fish into my hands to examine
them, and was amazed at the eccentricity of Nature
in thus peopling this subterranean lake with a fish
deprived of a sense which would be useless to it in
these darksome regions.

Our guides soon lit a fire, and with the aid of a
frying-pan and some butter, cooked the blind gud-
geons, and we found them most excellent and sa-
voury. (One peculiarity about these Dead Sea gud-
geons is that they won't keep long j they go bad a
few hours after they are caught.) This done, we
proceeded to explore the rest of the wonders of the
Mammoth Caves, and managed to finish our task
before the sun was set. The sight of the glorious
luminary as we emerged from the regions of dark-

ALLIGATORS OF LOUISIANA AND TEXAS. 267

ness, dazzled us all, and althougli none of us re-
gretted the time which we had passed in the bowels
of the earth, no one (the guides excepted) wished
to recommence the journey. We found excellent
accommodation at the Mammoth Caves' Hotel, and
were soon enjoying a good dinner, and congratu-
lating each other upon having come safe and sound
out of the mighty caverns.

These vast caves are indeed unequalled in the
world. They form a construction unspoiled by the
hand of man. They contain two hundred and twenty-
six passages, forty-seven large caves or halls, eight
waterfalls, three lakes, and twenty-two streams and
rivers. They do not, however, harbour any noxious
creatures, and the air is so pure that decomposition
never takes place in them. The temperature of
Grant's Grotto (winter and summer) is fifty degrees
of Fahrenheit.

XVII.— THE ALLIGATORS OF LOUISIANA
AND TEXAS.

North America, with its impenetrable forests,
its fertile prairies, its profound lakes, its lofty moun-
tains, its cataracts and rivers, is certainly one of the
richest and most picturesque countries on the face

268 SPORT IN NOKTH AMERICA.

of the globe. So varied are its marvels that it is
difficult to decide which is most worthy of admira-
tion. For my part, I know nothing to compare
with the Mississippi * river, and I think my readers
will agree with me when they come to understand
the prodigious fecundity which it spreads over the
valley which it waters, and the immensity of the
space which it covers.

Almost every country which is traversed by the
Mississippi is an alluvium, consisting of black virgin
soil which seems only to await the hand of the culti-
vator. Not a stone can be found anywhere. This
character of the soil renders the river extremely
sinuous, and frequently it will burst all bounds, and
find a shorter way for itself across some bend which
it has previously hollowed out. Thus it happens
that the course of the river changes frequently, that
considerable tracts of land are submerged and de-
stroyed, and that villages which were once upon the
right bank of the river are now upon the left.

The mighty current of the river, as it sweeps over
those submerged lands, bears upon its surface the
trunks of enormous trees, the relics of some ancient

* The name Mississippi is a corruption of that which the Indians
gave to this river, and which has been poetically translated "the
Father of Elvers." I think, however, that the literal translation is
more expressive. The word is derived from two Chocktaw words,
Missah and SippaJi, signifying old, large, and strong. The Chock-
taws once occupied nearly the whole extent of the banks, and tribes of
them are still scattered about Ohio and the Floridas.

ALLIGATOKS OF LOUISIANA AND TEXAS. 269

forest which it has torn up in its passage, and which
dance upon it as if they were so many straws. Some-
times these collect together in a bend of the river,
and becoming interlaced, pass by the name of rafts,
'others get fixed into the bottom and, under the
name of " snags," are among the most formidable
perils of river navigation in America.

The extent of the Mississippi surpasses all belief.
It rises in the regions of sempiternal snow, and flows
into lands where the heat is almost unbearable. It
passes through every variety of climate, ajid receives
as mere tributaries those four great rivers — the Ar-
kansas, the Ked River, the Ohio and the Missouri,
the length of which, and of their numerous affluents,
amount altogether to more than three thousand
miles. All these mighty masses of water are re-
ceived into the Gulf of Mexico, through the dozen
outlets which form the mouths of the Mississippi,
three of which are deep enough to float ships of the
line.

One morning I was travelling down the Missis-
sippi, from Natchez to Baton Rouge, on board one
of those floating mansions which they call steam-
boats, when, just as we were approaching the Red
River, my eyes fell upon the first alligator I had
ever seen in my life. Contrary to the habit of these
creatures, he looked very clean, and was running
along a sand-bank in the sun, as if to dry his scaly
hide.

270 sroRT m north aimerica.

On seeing the creature I uttered a cry of surprise,
and in answer to a question which my exclamation
drew forth, I said, " That^s a crocodile/'

" Not so," replied my interlocutor. " It's an alli-
gator. They're common enough here in every corner
of the river .'*

My companion then proceeded to explain to me
that in former times the Red River and the Arkansas
were peopled with myriads of alligators. Two causes
had however conspired to render them less nume-
rous than ]before : the steamers have frightened them
away and also the birds and fishes on which they
fed. Moreover, there was a prevalent fashion some
years ago only to use saddles and boots made of
alligators' hide. Of late years people have got to
understand that alligators' leather is far less water-
proof than that of oxen and horses, and the demand
for it has consequently lessened.

" You seem to know all about alligators, my
friend," said I, " and I'll be bound for it you have
made them an object of special study."

" Well, you're not far wrong there. I've spent a
goodish time in studying the tarnal critters, and I
know pretty well all their ways."

He then proceeded to inform me that the alli-
gators' nests were usually constructed on the banks
of streams, and were surrounded with reeds and the
roots of trees. The female lays in this muddy hole
fifty to sixty eggs, as big as turkey's eggs, which she

ALLIGATORS OF LOUISIANA AND TEXAS. 271

covers with reeds and mud, and builds up over the
centre a cone of puddled clay, which is so strong
that you may walk upon it without breaking it.
These eggs take about thirty or forty days to hatch
out, and during the process of incubation, the female
never quits her nest except to seek for food. At
this time she is very dangerous to whoever interferes
with her. As soon as the eggs are hatched, the
young caymans sport about as lively as lizards,
and their mother cleans them by licking them
with her rough and scaly tongue. Alligators seek
their food only at night, and they are most fond
of turtles, tortoises, frogs, birds and young peccaries.
They will hunt after these when they come to
drink at the banks frequented by alligators. In the
water, the alligator is agile enough ; but on land, his
short legs refuse to support his long tail and heavy
body. He drags himself along, therefore, rather than
walks, and his tail ploughs up a long furrow in the
mud as he goes. The alligator when in the water
and in the middle of a lake or river, has no fear.
He can dive and make his escape as he pleases ; but
on shore, directly he hears the slightest warning of
attack, whether from man or beast, he makes to-
wards the water and, when pressed closely, crouches
upon the ground and remains perfectly motionless.
If the enemy approaches, he seems to pluck up a
courage and to show fight, and when thus seen, with
his jaws furnished with a double row of sharp teeth

272 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

he looks an awkward customer; but if you manage
to avoid the tail of the alligator there is little dan-
ger. This is his most powerful weapon for attack
and defence. It is only the negroes who have any-
thing to fear from the alligator's tooth.* No one
seems to have explained the reason, but the flesh of
the coloured man seems always preferable to the
monsters of the deep. The negroes hold them in
great aversion, and lay traps of all kinds to catch
them. One of these is a kind of grappling made of
four branches of trees, with about thirty yards of
line attached, furnished with a strong hook and a
lump of peccary's meat. When this is arranged and
the bait floating on the top of the water, a negro
takes an earthenware plate or piece of turtle shell
and begins to beat it in cadence with a hammer.
As soon as he hears this, the alligator pops his head
out of the water, and advances gradually and cau-
tiously towards his prey. Little by little, however,
he grows bolder, makes a dash at the bait and finds
that he is caught.

All this was very novel and interesting information
for me, and before reaching Baton Rouge I had
arranged with my new friend, the trapper, to spend

* It is believed in America that the alligator is only to be dreaded
by the white man at the breeding season. The males then engage ia
terrific fights, and their audacity with regard to men largely increases.
This also is the season when the natural food of the alligator is scarcer
than at any other, — a circumstance which, of course, tends to render
him more ferocious and ravenous.

ALLIGATORS OF LOUISIANA AND TEXAS. 273

a week or so in the neighbourhood. Accordingly,
the very next day, Mr. Salters (that was his name)
and myself made our preparations, and started on
our adventures.

It was evening when we reached a creek of the
Mississippi, in which we could see myriads of fish
playing about. Our dogs flushed plenty of water-
fowl, which fell to our repeated shots, when suddenly
one of them began to howl, and putting his tail
between his legs, made away from the water as fast
as he could. On this, my companion pointed out to
me with his gun an enormous alligator crouched
down into the mud, and watching us with lack-lustre
eyes. Without exchanging a word, we both fired
our double-barrels, and there^ for the first time, laid
this new species of game dead before me, with his
jaws gaping, and spreading around a faint odour of
musk. A negro, who attended us as porter, car-
ried him down to the canoe, and his skia even now
adorns the walls of a sugar-bakery belonging to a
rich planter on the Mississippi, to whom my friend
and myself presented it.

Next day, when Mr. Salters and myself were on one
of the lagoons of the E-ed River, we were witnesses
of a tremendous battle between a female alligator
and a large eagle. The alligator was defending its
young from the bird of prey, and the spectacle was
most artistic, as the mother did her best to defend
her young, which crouched under her belly until

274 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.

nothing could be seen of tlieni but just the tips of
their tails on the surface of the water. When the
fight was at its fiercest, it was suddenly interrupted
by a double explosion. The eagle fell with one wing
wounded, and my companion and myself soon put
an end to its misery on the bank. Meanwhile, the
alligator and its scaly progeny took advantage of the
opportunity to conceal themselves among the reedy
margins of the lagoon.

Since this expedition with Mr. Salters, I have fre-
' quently found myself in the marshes of Louisiana, and
have met with alligators by hundreds with no better
weapon about me than a stick,* and if by chance I
had a gun about me, and, for mere idleness, took a
shot at one of the creatures, the others would dive
down on the instant and reappear shortly, very little
alarmed at the noise.

The negroes in the Southern States, who are of a
very playful disposition, sometimes amuse themselves
by inflating pig's bladders, and throwing them into
water which is known to be infested by alligators.
It is most amusing to witness the attempts of the
creatures to seize hold of the light and buoyant

* Audubon states that an Alligator may be easily met with a stick ;
but I must confess, with all clue humility, that I ne^er attempted a
duel of this kind. The cattle drivers and muleteers sometimes have to
defend their charges in crossing swamps whei-e alligators abound, and
seldom need to have recourse to fire-arms. A long stick is usually
found sufficient to drive away the most formidable alligator that e>er
snapped at a horse or an ox.

ALLIGATOKS OF LOUISIANA AND TEXAS. 275

objects, which seem to baffle every endeavour to seize
them. Closely-corked bottles are sometimes thrown
for the same purpose, and when the alligator seizes
one of these in his formidable jaws and crushes it
up, the water is reddened with his blood.

I have seen the negroes capture the alligator with
a lasso just as if he were a wild bull or horse, and
I had even heard (upon reliable authority) of their
being blown up by means of a tin box of gunpowder,
(which they had swallowed in a bait) and an electric
spark, — an experiment which I was determined one
day to try.

During the very hot season the alligators take
refuge in the rivers, and the fishermen withdraw
their nets in the morning in fear lest they find an
alligator among its meshes. As soon as the cold
season approaches, the alligators ensconce themselves
among the roots of the trees, or bury themselves in
the mud to avoid the cold. The negroes catch large
numbers of them in winter, and boil them down for
the sake of the oil which they contain.

On the Texan coasts and about Lake Sabine there
are vast salt marshes (including a large district called
the Shaking Prairie^-), where alligators abound, and

* This praii-ie, which occupies a considerable space in Louisiana and
a great deal of Texas, is caused by a law of nature, which is very ana-
lagous to that which causes the Artesian wells, only it is v/ater that
works in the one case and earth in the other. The water falls into the
depths of the Artesian well, and springs up under the pressure of the
strata to which it is subjected. In like manner, the Shaking Prairie

2^6 SPOKT IN NOETH AMERICA.

where they grow to a size elsewhere unknown. Here
you may see these enormous brutes stretched out in
the sun and displaying their proportions as if they
were perfectly at home.

One day I happened to be on the shore in a tavern,
and near a landing-stage where a boat called for New
Orleans, and there I met with a hunter named Allen,
a man who lived on the Angelina River, and who
came every year, from November to April, to employ
his time in the catching of alligators. This Indian
Nimrod had a companion named Jim, who was of
the Bolaxis tribe. Jim was a better sportsman than
his master, for he never needed anything but a lasso
and a bowie-knife to get the better of an alligator.
If he saw an alligator, he crawled cautiously towards
him and lassoed him, and soon put an end to him
with his bowie-knife. One morning, I met Allen on
the edge of a ditch skinning an alligator, which was
not less than eighteen feet long, and I halted on my
way to take a little breakfast with the party. As I
was enjoy Id g my cup of coffee and venison steak, I
asked my companions a few questions as to their

is forced up by the dynamic action of the soil. Within twenty miles ot
New Orleans is a prairie as vast in extent as the State of Delaware.
This district is inhabited by negroes who have escaped from Jamaica
and the "West Indies, and who live there very comfortably. Here and
there, around an Indian hut, may be found a clump of oaks like an
oasis, and if it were not for the action of the soil, the prairie of Louisi-
ana would tremble no more, and the harvests would be better and
better every year.

ALLIGATORS OF LOUISIANA AND TEXAS. 277

employment, and finished by asking whether the
alligator which they had just skinned was not one of
the heaviest which they had ever met with. They
answered that it was a good one for the neighbour-
hood, but nothing for the Big Marshes.

" And where are they ? " said I.

"Oh! they're not very far. Only down there,"
said he, pointing down river. He then spun me a
tremendous yarn respecting the alligators which he
had to do with in that part of the Mississippi, and
in his adventures with which he had narrowly escaped
being swallowed up by them.

Here is my last adventure with the alligators, and
I give the reader my word of honour that it is
strictly true. I had often met a negro who lived on
the border of Devil's Swamp, not far from New
Orleans, and who got his living by selling spirituous
liquors. Miro had four barrels in his cellar, — one
of wine, another of gin, a third of brandy, and a
fourth of rum. He, had, moreover, ten well-built
fishing-boats, and eked out a very good living by
serving gentlemen who came that way with a very
passable pepper-pot, or a capital venison steak, or a
peccary ham. He was a bit of a braggart in his
way, and had often recounted adventures which had
piqued my curiosity. Among other things he had
frequently told me of the effect of the Electric
Telegraph upon on alligator.

At this time there was only one sportsman in New

-'/» SPOKT IN NORTH AMERICA.

Orleans avIio had the apparatus necessary for pro-
ducing the electric spark. This was a man named
Dantonnet, the first violoncello in the French theatre
there, and a very zealous hunter after the alligators.
I subsequently discovered the connexion between
his zeal for sport and his fondness for music. He
had discovered that the entrails of the alligator make
the most flexible and sonorous strings for a musical
instrument in the world, therefore he hunted them.

One morning I started with M. Dantonnet, his
apparatus, wires, and all the rest of it. He was fol-
lowed by a nigger carrying a large deal box, a carpet-
bag, and a gun. I had already got on board the boat
which was to convey us to DeviVs Swamp all that I
required, and we soon floated up on the top of the
rising tide. We started at four o'clock in the morn-
ing, on a fine day of March, and arrived at Miro's
hut about eleven o'clock in the forenoon. It was a
charming and picturesque little cottage, and after
we had enjoyed a very hearty breakfast, my friend
Dantonnet made preparations for his great expe-
riment. They were as simple as possible. There
was a tin case, holding about three pounds of
powder, and this was sewn up into the belly of the
fowl that was to serve for the bait. A wire, about
the eighth of an inch in diameter, connected the tin
case with the shore.

Dantonnet cried out " All right ! '' and, the bait
being thrown overboard, we rowed out into the open.

ALLIGATOES OF LOUISIAl^A AND TEXAS. 279

After a time, we felt a slif^ht shock upon the line,
and then a convulsion which shook the whole boat.
Presently it was clear that the prey had swallowed
the bait, and then our fisherman, who had in his
custody the box which contained the electric tele-
graph, connected the wires. The effect was tre-
mendous, for, after a terrible shock, we had hurled
over our heads the throbbing remains of an enormous
alligator, mingled with a rain of water and blood.
The battery had done its work, and my friend Dan-
tonnet received from every spectator the applause
due for having hit his mark.

Once more was the experiment repeated, and in
the evening we returned to Miro's hut to enjoy a
young boar-pig roasted whole, with a most savoury
stuffing inside. This we enjoyed thoroughly, and
also a stew, or gumbo, made of all sorts of materials,
game, fish, fowl, meat, &c., with all manner of spice
and flavours ; and when the hour of repose arrived
Miro pointed out to us two hammocks which were
slung beneath the trees, and in which we slept the
sleep of the just.

Next morning, at day-break, we returned to New
Orleans, and that very evening Dantonnet's fiddle-
stick was as active as ever.

LONDON:
BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.

V

MESSES. TINSLEY BEOTHEES' NEW WOEKS,

OBTAINABLE AT ALL THE LIBRARIES.

MR. SALADS

MY DIARY IN AMERICA IN THE MIDST

OF WAR.

By GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA.

In 2 vols. Svo. [This dmj.

" Now that we have told Mr. Sala what we conceive to be the chief faults of his
book, we are well pleased to make acknowledgment of his vigour, honesty, and
humour. Its truthfulness i.s discerned in the racy egotism that sets aside the
facts and pictures of all previous writers on America, and entertains the reader
with the experiences, impressions, fancies, and vagaries of Mr. George Augustus
Sala, pure and unadulterated. Great as is the number of persons who read his
letters in the Dailv Telegraph, there is an equal number who have not yet per\ised
them, but are wishing to look at the humorous letters of which they Lave heard
so much. To them we commend ' My Diary in America in the Midst of War ' as a
book abounding in the materials of entertainment, and richly suggestive of ques-
tions for discussion. The rare good stories may be counted by hundreds." —
Athenceum.

"In two large volumes Mr. Sala reproduces a portion of the correspondence
from America which he lately published in a London daily paper. He has added,
however, a good deal which did not appear in the columns of that journaL Mr.
Sala's is decidedly a clever, amusing, and often brilhant book." — Morning Star.

GEORGE GEITH OF FEN COURT,

The Novel, by F. G. TRAFFORD,

Author of " City and Suburb," "Too Much Alone," &c., is ready at aU the

Libraries, in 3 Vols.

" Rarely have we seen an abler work than this, or one which more vigorously
interests us in the principal characters of its most fascinating story." — Times,
Feb. 4.

" Beryl Molozane, the witty laughing girl of sense, who can mimic, and act, and

jeer, and govern a family, and smash pretence, and love devotedly We do

not know when we have been so charmed as with that strange figare, so composite
yet so real, or when we have read anything more touching than her relation to her
husband, wliom Mr. Traflford, true to his theory of Ufe, makes in his hour of
victory a sick bankrupt. " — Spectator.

" This fine story, so rich in pathos, is not poor in humour. Its sadness does
not tend to monotone, but is diversified by sketches of ' fine City ladies,' and
notable of City sociabilities, which are keenly witty and genuinely entertaining.
It is a rare pleasure to read such a novel as ' George Geith of Fen Court ' — a
pleasure for whose recurrence it is vain to look, except towards its author."—
Morning Post.

" We Uke this novel better than any of the author's previous ones ; the story is

more clearly told, and the interest sustained ' George Geith' is an excellent

novel, powerfully and carefully written." — Athenceum.

2 MESSRS. TINSLEY BROTHERS' NEW WORKS.

THE MARRIED LIFE OF ANNE OF
AUSTRIA,

Queen of France, Mother of Louis XIV. ; and the HISTORY of DON SEBASTIAN,
King of Portugal. Historical Studies. From numerous Unpublished Sources.

By MARTHA WALKER FREER.
In 2 Vols. 8vo., with Portrait.

[Second Edition, this day.

" The married Ufe of Anne of Austria as the Queen of Louis XIII., and her
subsequent Ufe as his widow and Regent of France, constitute one of the most
important phases in French history, and certainly one of the best topics that a
writer up in the curious revelations of the French memoirs relating thereto,
could select to make an amusing and even fascinating book. We have here a
book entertaining in a high degree, and authentic as far as it goes ; discrimina-
tive even in special transactions— full of choice materials weU combined." —
Times, Oct. 25.

MORNINGS OF THE RECESS IN 1861—4,

Being a Series of Literary and Biographical Papers, reprinted and revised from the
"Times," by permission, by the Author. In 2 Vols., uniform with Captain
Burton's " Mission to Dahomey." [This day.

Contents of Vol. /.—The Life of Sir John Eliot— The Corns of the Ancient Britons
— Mr. Forsyth's Cicero — The Naturalist on the Amazons — The EngUsh Engineers
— The Leechdoms, Wort Cunning, (fee— Spedding's Life of Lord Bacon — The Jour-
nal Edited by the Dean of Westminster — Remains of Mrs. Richard Trench, <fec.

Contents o/ Vol. II. — Lord Lyndhurst — Diary of Lady Cowper— Captain Burton's
Mission to the King of Dahomey — Our English Cathedrals— Autobiography of Miss
CorneUa Knight — The Works of Alexander Neckam — The Leadbeater Papers — The
Napiers — Omitted Chapters of the History of England, &c., &c., &c.

TODLEBEN'S DEFENCE OF SEBASTOPOL:

Being a Review of General Todleben's Narrative, 1S54 — 5.

By WILLIAM HOWARD RUSSELL, LL.D.,

Special Correspondent of the " Times" during the Crimean War. 10s. M.

[Ready this day.

,f* A portion of this Work appeared in the " Times ;" it has pince been greatly
enlarged, and may be said to be an abridgment of General Todleben's great work.

MESSRS. TINSLEY BROTHERS' NEW WORKS.

MASANIELLO OF NAPLES.

By Mrs. HORACE ST. JOHN.

In 1 Vol. [This day.

" The historic parallel which some writers detect in the brief course of Masa.
niello and the unfinished career of Garibaldi, is far from complete ; and, save on a
few comparatively trivial points, it is by no means manifest. Of humble origin,
the one a fisherman, the other a sailor, they both exclaimed against the misrule
of Naples, and were raised, by the popular will, from obscurity to eminence.
Throughout her bright and gracefuUy-written volume, Mrs. St. John speaks of
MasanieUo's riot as a revolution, and requii-es for him, as a true, enlightened, un-
fortunate patriot, our admiration and pity."— Athencewm.

FACES FOR FORTUNES.

By AUGUSTUS MAYHEW,
' How to Marry and Whom to Marry," " The Greatest Plague in
Life," &c. [This day.

BALLADS.

By MISS AMELIA B. EDWARDS,

Author of " Barbara's History." [This day.

A MISSION TO DAHOMEY:

Being a Three Months' Residence at the Court of Dahomey. In which are described
the Manners and Customs of the Country, including the Human Sacrifice, &c.

By CAPT, R. F. BURTON,

Late H. M. Commissioner to Dahomey, and the Author of " A Pilgrimage to

El Medinah and Meccah." In 2 Vols., with Illustrations.

[Second Edition revised, this day.
"He witnessed the grand Customs and the yearly Customs of that grotesquely
ceremonious people, including the evolutions of their army of ' Amazons ' and the
traces of their cruel human sacrifices, of which he himself, with proper taste,
declined to be an actual spectator, and he brought away impressions of the
Dahoman proclivities which are really very curious and instructive, though they
were not very satisfactory to himself nor to be commended to the imitation of the
gentle philanthropists who patronise the Dahomans or their congeners under the
fallacious impression that they can ever be elevated up to the same level of being
as themselves."— TJnw*.

MESSRS. TINSLEY BROTHERS' NEW WORKS.

AVILA HOPE:

A Novel In 2 Vols. [This day.

EVERY-DAY PAPERS.

From " All the Year Round."

By ANDREW HALLIDAT.

In 2 Vols.

"We do not remember to have met with any collection of sketches the perusal
of which has given us more unquaMfied pleasure than that which we have derived
from these two volumes. The secret of their pecuUar charm lies not so much in
the topics selected for treatment, though these are for the most part of the sort
which possess a universal interest, as in the spirit of unaffected goodwill and
human kindness which pervades the whole." — Morning Star.

New Edition of "The "World in the Chiirch."

Shortly wUl be published, in 1 Vol., 6s.,

THE WORLD IN THE CHURCH.

By the Author of "George Qeith of Fen Court," "Too much Alone," &c.

Also, by the same Author, uniform with the above. New Editions of
CITY AND SUBURB, 6s. | TOO MUCH ALONE, 63.

And, uniform with the above,

Maurice Bering. 6s.
Trevlyn Hold. 6s.
John Marchmont's Legacy. 6«.
Eleanor's Victory. 6s.
Seven Sons of Mammon. 6s.
Recommended to Mercy. 6s.
Guy Livingstone. 5s.
Barren Honour. 6s.

Border and Bastile. 6s.
Sword and Gown. 4s. 6d.
Buckland's Fish Hatching. 5s.
Arnold's Life of Macaulay. 7s. 6d.
Dutch Pictures. By Sala. 5s.
Two Prima Donnas. 5s.
Bundle of Ballads. 6s.

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