Wild sports in the far West

Nliliii

THE NE\V' YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX AKD
TILDEN FOUNDATIGN*

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Wi/Sf: 8K0. UTH

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AN UNEXPECTED RENCONTRE:

WI LD SPORTS

By FKEDERICK GERSTAECKER.

STtanslateti ftom t!)e CKccman.
WITH EIGHT CRAYON DRAWINGS,

EXECUTED IN OIL COLORS,

FROM DEJ5IGNS BY HARRISON WEIR.

BOSTON:
CROSBY, NICHOLS AND COMPANY.

117 Washington Street.
1859.

CAMBRIDGE:
ALLEN AND FARXIIAM, EI ECTROTYPEKS AND PRINTERS.

PEEPACE

On my return, a sliort time since, to my native land,
from the wilds of America, it was not at first my
intention to offer to the public the contents of the
diary I had kept during my travels, and written out in
detail as an employment for my leisure hours, for the
exclusive use of my family in Germany. Incited,
however, by the interest awakened by the publication
of a few extracts in one of our periodicals, and yielding
to the wishes expressed by various friends who had
read the remainder, I undertook to correct and revise
my notes, and to mould into a continuous narrative a
diary which I had only kept when circumstances
worthy of being chronicled arose, — for instance, on the
voyage out, on my march through the United States,
during my sojourn among the swamps of Arkansas,
and finally during my hunting trip in the Ozark moun-
tains.

I have endeavored faithfully to portray the social
condition of the Americans, in so far as it came under
my observation, and many a reader, while turning over

(iii)

iv PREFACE.

the pages of this work, will seek in vain the wonted
glowing descriptions of the riches and plenty which the
dwellers in the West are reputed to enjoy. It is true
that the American farmer commencing operations with
small means, may, by dint of very strenuous exertions,
realize an independence in a shorter time than would
suffice for this object in our old fatherland ; but, on the
other hand, he must be prepared to renounce every
thing that gladdened his heart in his native country —
and only too quickly will he discover that to wean
himself from the comforts to which he has been from
childhood accustomed, to quit the society and inter-
course of the civilized world, and to seek in a far land
a life of freedom indeed, but likewise of solitude and
privation, is a harder task than it at first appeared.
And not every man is sufficiently strong of heart to
bear the emigrant's lot without a murmur.

But should any inveterate sportsman, with an imag-
ination heated by the description of these scenes, ex-
cited by the dangers and difficulties of the enterprise,
depart to the far West, to experience similar adventures,
let him remember, when wet, hungry, alone, and a prey
to mosquitoes, he lies stretched in the untrodden forest,

longing in vain for a fire, and for the society of men ;
or when he has been following the tracks of the deer
for days together, without the chance of a single shot,
until he can ahnost persuade himself that the tales he

PREFACE.

has read of wild sports in the West are but myths
existing only in the brains of the Indians ; let him, I
say, remember that I have, so far as in me lay, painted
all this in its true colors, and that many an adventure
which rea<ls admirably on paper, is in reality the
reverse of romantic.

The chase in the United States is, moreover, rapidly
on the decline ; for the American hunter spares nothing,
and for some time, particularly since the day when skins
were first paid for in hard dollars, a war of extermina-
tion has been waged against the poor stags and bears ;

so that the hunter who, some five years hence, shall

visit these realms, will scarcely find his expectations of
sport reaUzed, unless he is prepared either to content
himself with small game, or to penetrate to the Kocky
Mountains, and explore the territory of the Indians.

With the concluding request to my readers, to re-
member that these pages are penned by a man who, so
to speak, has but just emerged from the forest, and who
relates his experiences to his friends at home, not caring
for the fact that he might, perhaps, by adopting a differ-
ent method, have told his story with more effect, this
diary is submitted to the kind consideration of the pub-
lic, by

The Author.

A*-

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

FROM BREMEN TO NEW YORK.

The Bremen Lighter — A Parting Jollification — The good Ship
" Constitution " — The Steerage — The Last of Germany — Sea-
sickness — Life on Board — The Channel — Sea Sights — A Shark
— A Wreck — Bathing at Sea — Dancing on Board — Stormy
Weather — The Coast of Newfoundland — Festivities on the 4th
of July — Shark and Pilot-Fish — Jlother Carey's Chickens —
Land ho ! — Staten Island — Our Destination ... pp. 1 — 30

CHAPTER H.

NEW YORK TO BUFFALO.

Car-drivers — An Irish Funeral — German Boarding-House — A Pul-
pit in a State of Siege — Negroes at New York — Shooting Excur-
sion near New York — Railway to Utica — American Canal Boat

— My Fat Fellow-passenger — Pennsylvanian smith — Hamilton

— Wild Duck-shooting — An Indian Hunter — Night in the Woods

— A Yankee Cattle-dealer — Buffalo Politicians . . . 31—60

(vii)

VIU CONTENTS.

CHAPTER m.

OHIO — INDIANA — ILLINOIS — MISSOURI.

"Wet and Weary — Out in the Woods — The Forest Mill — A Racoon

— A Pleasant Travelling Companion — My Israelite Fellow-
lodgers — Fording the Wabash — A Wet Road — Buck-shooting

— Illinois and its Climate — I set off for New Orleans — Lead
Mines in Missouri 61 — 82

CHAPTER lY.

AKKANSAS, AND " DOWN RIV'ER " TO NEW ORLEANS.

The Eagle — An Old Settler — My unsuccessful Hunting Dog —
The Polish Refugee's Habitation — An Unnecessary Circuit —
Indian Tribe — Little Rock in Arkansas — ^My Engagement on
board the " Fox " — QuaiTel with the Captain — An uncomfort-
able Night — Treatment of Slaves — A Woodland Supper — A
Panther — Bear-shooting — Life among the Indians — An Indian
Shooting Party — Wolf Traps — Narrow Escape for my Canoe —
By Steamer to New Orleans 83 — 116

CHAPTER V.

CINCINNATI — A FARMER'S LIFE IN THE WOODS.

A Runaway Couple — Cincinnati and its Religious Sects — The Girl
" possessed with a Devil " — I start afresh for the Woods — Bad
Sport and bad Weather — Crawfish — Blackfish Lake — A Pic-
nic in the Woods — Mule Drivers from Texas — Strong's Planta-
tion— A Swimming-race with the dogs — Saint Woodland's
Farm — Bee-hunting — Wild Honey — Searching for Horses —
Dancing for a Dinner — Backwoods Building — Ague — My Meth-
odist Friend — Duck-shooting — Snakes in the Swamps — Our
Farming Arrangements 117 — 149

CONTENTS. IX

CHAPTER VI.

A farmer's life in the woods (continued).

A. Wolf— We shift our Quarters — False Alarm — Squirrel for
Breakfast — Primitive Mode of Winnowing Corn — " Oiltrove
Bottom " — Pawpaw Trees — " Not at home " — Hard Fare — A
Panther — Visit to Hilger — A Great Political Discussion — Clear-
ing Land for Fields- Ague — Prompt Burial in the Swamps —
A Backwoods Family — Swindlers in Arkansas — White River
and its Neighborhood— Magnus, the Great Buffalo Hunter— A
Patient with the Ague — Swamps — Hunting with an unloaded
Gun— Death of the Bear 150—181

CHAPTER VH.

WOODLAND SPORTS — CANE-BRAKES — MY EXAMINA-
TION BY THE SCHOOL COMMISSION.

Turkey-shooting with Dogs — Forest Travel — Scarcity of Provis-
ions — Overcup Oak —Buck-hunting —Buffalo-hunting —Return
to the Haunts of Men— Bear-hunting with dogs — The Falling
Tree- "Shocking bad Dreams " — Ladies in the Forest — Un-
employed Hands in Cincinnati — Card-playing in the Cane-brake

— German Settlers down South — The Great School Examination

— Speculation in Canes 182—209

CHAPTER Vin.

FARMING AT FOURCHE LE FAVE — A BACKWOODS "FROL-
IC " RESIDENCE AT KELFER'S FARM — SCHOOLS

HUNTING EXCURSION.

Partnership with Rutkin — Removing Goods by Canoe — Scalding
Pigs "Arkansas Fashion " — Shooting Deer by Night — Disa-
gi-eement with Rutkin — A Backwoods " Frolic " — Relays of
Fiddlers — Chasing a Wolf with a Cance — Another Shootmg

CONTENTS.

Excursion — The Sessions in the Backwoods — An inconvenient
Court-house — Departure from Kelfer's Farm — Road-making in
the Backwoods — Visit to Bahrens — Habitual Reserve of the
Americans — I\Iechanical Ingenuity of Backwoodsmen — An In-
dian Adventure — Raccoon-shooting — Bee-hunting in the Back-
woods— Duck-shooting — Curly the Settler — A Prize — Curly's
Mishap — An Unpleasant Nocturnal Visitor — Shooting a Pan-
ther—Return to Slowtrap's 210—257

CHAPTER IX.

HUNTING ANECDOTES AXD EXPERIENCES — CHRISTMAS
— CONWELL AND HIS REMINISCENCES.

Sui-prised by a Panther — A New Hunting Excursion — The Fox —
" Stole Away " — The Two old Cattle-dealers — Bear-hunting
Extraordinary — Deer-stalking by Night — Duck-shooting —
Thunderstorms in Arkansas — Our Nocturnal Encampment —
Indian Migration — A Bootless Chase — Lost in the Forest — Mr.
Davis's Farm — Conwell and his Family — Slowtrap's Adventure
with the Cow — Terrace-hills — A Prize — A Sumptuous Break-
fast— A Two-year-old Bruin — A Comfortable Evening — Indian
Stratagem — Simplicity of the Backwoodsmen — Bivouac — Story
of the Moccasins — Almost surprised by a Panther — A Novel
Sleeping-room — Struggle with a Buck — Story of a Buffalo Hunt
— Books in Wet Weather — Manna in the Desert — Marauding
"Wolves — Bruin in his Nest — Honey-laden Home . 258 — 311

CHAPTER X.

A PERILOUS BEAR-HUNT — A DEBATING SOCIETY — PAN-
THER HUNT — DISASTROUS EVENTS — DEATH OF ERS-
KINE DEPARTURE.

Bears in their Winter Quarters — Bruin's Cave — Our Adventure in
the Cave — Attack and Retreat — Pursued by a Wounded Bear
— Victor\' at last — Another Bruin in his Lair — Backwoods De-

CONTENTS. XI

bating Society — Knotty Points of Debate — A Panther in a
Cave — Watchfire and Wounds — Off again after Game — Hunt-
ing witli the Indians — Skeletons — Narrow Quarters — Wachiga
— °Our Fatal Temerity — Erskine's Death — A Terrible Night —
A Primitive Operation — I decline taking a Farm — A Rencon-
tre 312-349

CHAPTER XI.

A FATAL BRAWL — RETURN TO LITTLE ROCK — SUMMA-
RY JUSTICE — DOWN SOUTH.

Whiskey and Bloodshed — Wounded and Alone — A Prize — Return
to Slowtrap's — Little Rock — Deer-shooting at the " Salt Lick"

— Logwood Trees in Arkansas — Summary Judicial Proceedings

— Calls for attracting Deer — Indian Method of Dressing Skins —
A Matrimonial Difficulty — Buck-shooting — Letters at Little
Rock — Canoe Voyage down the Arkansas — Celebration of the
4thofJuly 350-373

CHAPTER XH.

LOUISIANA NEW ORLEANS, AND HOME.

Mosquitoes — Meeting with Kean— The Hotel at Point Couple —
Slaves and their Condition — Snipe-shooting — Vegetation of
Louisiana — Shooting Alligators by Torchhght— Their Antipa-
thy to Dogs and Negroes — New Orleans — The" Olbers" for
Bremen — Mouth of the Mississippi— The Gulf of Mexico —
Fever — The Liibecker and his Wife — The Channel — Quaran-
tine 374-396

WILD SPORTS

ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST.

CHAPTER I.

FROI^I BREMEN TO NEW YORK.

A Bremen lighter, and its capacity for holding passengers — An
unexpected meeting— Scene on board the lighter — The captain
Fii-st night on board — A parting dance on shore — Our new-
passengers and their mishaps — The " Constitution " — Steerage
arrangements — Sleeping berths — Scenes between decks — De-
parture — Sea-sickness — Our Jewish passengers— The French
and English Coasts — The Atlantic — Jelly-fish n?nd " Portuguese
men-of-war"— Small-pox on board — Dancing— Phosphorescence
of the sea — Fricandeau-days — Stormy weather— Meeting of
ships at sea — The 4th of July and its festivities — The shark and
pilot-fish — Projects to pass the time — " Land ho ! " — Arrival,
harbor, quarantine, and examination of luggage — We take leave
of the " Constitution."

"Does the boat start at nine exactly ? " " Yes, do not be
later." Such was the notice I received as I spoke with
the master of the lighter, which in the spring of 1837
was to take me with bag and baggage on board the
"Constitution," bound to New York, then lying in
Bremen Roads, about forty miles from the town, and
only waiting for the two lighters, which were to take on
board the steerage passengers with their effects.

1 (1)

^ WILD SrORTS IN THE FAR AVEST.

I was true to my appointment at nine o'clock, but
soon found that there was no necessity to have hurried
myself, as no prejDarations had been made for starting ;
I took advantage of the time to look over all my effects,
to see if I had everything I thought necessary, and to
procure any thing that was wanting : in a large chest,
that could easily be got at, I had packed some bottles
of red wine, a keg of sardines, another of herrings, a
Westphalian ham (oh, that there had been six !), some
lemons, a little rum, pepper, sugar, some tin A^essels for
the table and to keep food in, knives, forks, and spoons.
I found all right, and then lounged along the banks of
the Weser, so as not to lose the boat. I was astonished
at the number of passengers that arrived ; and when I
saw the crowd of people to be stowed in the miserably
small boat, it appeared to me impossible that she could
hold so many. While I was leaning against the corner
of a house and looking on, a young man approached,
wrapped in a blue cloak, with a foraging cap, spectacles,
a long pipe in one hand, and a knapsack in the other ;
he looked at me steadfastly for a moment, and then
accosted me with the intimate "Du" (Thou). His
features were familiar to me, but I did not remember
him till he mentioned his name ; he was II., a former
school-fellow, who was about to embark in the same
ship. The sight of him first recalled to mind, since I
had taken leave of all who were near and dear to me,
that I was not quite alone in the world, and that there
was still some one who would interest himself for me ;
of course we were now inseparable.

We lounged about together for some time in the
town, and on returning to the boat found for certain

THE BREMEN LIGHTER. 3

that it would not start till the followino; mornins::.
Most of the passengers went on shore in the evening.
H. and I remained on board with our baggage. Next
morning we cast oiF from the shore and made sail with
the ebb ; the wind was unfavorable. No one who has
not made such a passage, in a similar boat, with a like
number of passengers, can imagine the scene. It is
necessary to give a short description of it, as these
boats are still in use, and may yet carry thousands of
emigrants from their native land. The lighter was
cutter-rigged, about forty-five feet long, and some
fifteen broad, with a little hole in the after part called
a cabin, with two sleeping places on one side and some
rows of shelves on the other ; it was about large enough
to contain six people closely packed. Imagine sixty
passengers in the other part of the boat ! (for the cabin
was only for the master, or captain, as he liked to be
called). Sixty live passengers, with their chests, trunks,
hat and other boxes, handkerchiefs of provisions,
cloaks, mattresses, coverlets, &c. &c. ; and not young
men only, but old and young women, old men and
boys, cliildren and old maids, sitting, lying, standing,
and leaning about. If any one had told me beforehand
that such a number of people could have been packed
in such a space, I would not have believed him.

When all had settled themselves, and I was firmly
persuaded that it was quite impossible to find room for
one more, without hanging him up under the deck, a
JDair of legs poked themselves down the hatchway ; over
them was a blue jacket, topped by the rubicund visage
of our faithful captain. After trying for some time
with his feet to find a solid foundation to stand on, he

4 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

let go his hands, and lighted on the corns of a lanky-
sailor, who had squeezed himself in between two chests,
and had fallen asleep standing ; the pain made him
draw up his long legs, and he was so disconcerted, that,
still half asleep, he courteously begged pardon of the
captain, or Tarpaulin, as we called him.

The captain now began to look about him, stepping
over two and sometimes three persons at a time.
But what was his motive for taking all this trouble ?
Merely to look at the pretty faces of the female passen-
gers, and to try to make himself agreeable to them —
but time and place, wind and weather were against
him ; he only received snappish words from some, and
derision from others ; finding that nothing was to be
gained from the fair sex, he turned to the other, and
began to ogle various attractive-looking bottles, which
were less coy towards him, for here and there some of
them were uncorked and their contents earnestly in-
quired into.

At last he went on deck, and I followed, not without
difhcultj, to get at least a breath of fresh air; the
weather was bad, the sky cloudy, with a sharp cutting
wind, and occasionally rain : the dull leather-colored
banks of the "Weser filled me with melancholy.

H. had followed me ; so we lit a couple of cigars, and
talked over old stories. ^Ve anchored at dai'k, as the
master was afraid of running agi'ound — the vessel swung
round, the sails were lowered, and all was quiet for the
night. As the dew fell heavy and cold, we once more
descended through the dark abyss of the hatchway. Not
a light was burning, and all lay close packed together ;
hoAv I manaired to get through the mass is still a

A PARTING JOLLIFICATION. 6

mystery, but I remember that I passed the night,
sitting on the corner of a chest, leaning my head upon
another with an enormous padlock, against which I
constantly knocked.

AYhat a scene in the morning ! — I was as hungry as
a wolf — and no wonder, for I had eaten nothing since
the previous morning ; I got on deck, washed my face
and hands in a bucket of Weser water, and greedily
devoured a morsel of bread and cheese which I had in
my pocket. The weather had improved, the boat
dropped slowly down with the tide. About eight
o'clock we met a small fishing boat, from which I bought
some capital shell-fish; these our captam ordered
to be cooked by his ministering spirit, and of course
came in for his share. When the flood made, we
anchored again ; H. and I with the only sailor went on
shore to recruit our store of provisions, as our passage
seemed likely to be a long one.

In the afternoon we dropped down to a village called,
I believe, Bracke, where some merry music struck our
ears. Our Tarpaulin would not have passed it had the
whole admiralty of Bremen been standing sentry on
the shore ; although the wind was fair, and the ebb still
running, the anchor was dropped, the little boat hauled
up, and all the younger members, babies excepted,
landed on the beach.

Dancing was carried on with vigor for a couple of
hours, but I took no part in it ; I was in no humor
for dancing. I was nevertheless amused ; the emi-
grants, in the costume of their different states, even in
the moment of bidding farewell to their native land,
jumped and bounded to the sound of a couple of
1*

b WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

fiddles and a horn, without a care for the future. As it
began to grow late, the not very tender lighterman's
conscience of our captain began to reproach him. The
Avind was fair, and he knew that the shi^^ was only
waiting for him ; so he collected his cargo, and we left
the merry sounds behind us. We had had some fun
at any rate, and that made the time seem shorter.

At Yegesack, another village on the Weser, we re-
ceived three more passengers, also bound for our ship —
a man of about five or six and forty, his wife, some
seven or eight years younger, and their hopeful son, of
about eighteen.

As it was a downright impossibility to squeeze in
three more passengers amongst us, Tarpaulin gave
them up his cabin, as he called it. It cost no little
trouble to get the two rather helpless old folks stowed
below. William, for that was hopeful's name, managed
it quicker, for his foot slipped, and doAvn he went, like
a flash of lightning, between his astonished parents,
crushing his mother's bonnet in his descent. Towards
evening our captain wanted some tar. It was stowed
under a scuttle in the floor of the cabin. The sailor,
who had taken rather too much on board at Bracke,
and thereupon had totally forgotten the principles of
equilibrium, tumbled to the foot of the cabin ladder,
and made the trio understand that it was necessary to
open the little hole in the floor, and that therefore they
must press themselves as close as possible against the
ship's sides. This was easier said than done, because a
narrow seat ran along the sides. The scuttle was at
last opened, the iron pot lifted out, and set with its
sharp edge on William's toes, causing him to draw back

THE GOOD SHIP "CONSTITUTION. 7

his foot and strike his heel forcibly against the ship's
side. But his cup of sorrow was not exhausted yet.
"With sublime patience he awaited the retreat of the
sailor, who, with unsteady hands, lifted the bucket
towards the captain, who had stretched out his hands
to take it ; but " there 's many a slip 'twixt the cup and
the lip." The bucket turned over. Wilham, poor
innocent William, received the whole of the contents,
and the captain got nothing more than his favorite
perfume. He swore like a heathen. And what said
William, as he stood there like butter in the sun?
If the saying is true — "well greased goes easy," it
ought to have gone easy with him.

One more night had we to pass in this Avretched
boat. It would fill volumes to relate all the occurrences,
serious and comic. In the morning we saw the object
of our hopes — the barque " Constitution " — lying at
anchor, with flags flying. We were soon alongside
and on board. The confusion of this moment was inde-
scribable. The second lighter had arrived two days
before us with the other passengers, who had secured
the most convenient bed-places, and arranged their
packages to the best advantage ; no trifling matter in
so small a space. The steerage was about thirty-three
feet long by twenty-seven wide, and eight high, with
posts, or stanchions, in the middle, to support the
upper deck, to which the chests, &c., were lashed.
Imagine on each side two rows of bed-places, one over
the other, about six feet square, each wide enough, or
rather not wide enough, to contain five people. The
chests, cases, packages of all sorts with clothes and
provisions, were stowed in the intermediate spaces, and

8 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR AVEST.

lashed to the posts, to keep them from tumbhng about
wdth the motion of the ship, leaving a space on each
side of about twenty-two feet long, and from twelve to
fourteen inches wide, for 118 passengers. At first I
could not believe that we were so many, but by de-
grees became convinced of it. After for a short time
viewing the scene with its forms climbing and crawl-
ing about through the gloom, I imagined to myself the
motion of the ship, the lashings giving way, the chests
and boxes flying from side to side, and the advent of
sea-sickness, which the number of tin basins kept in
readiness seemed mournfully to forebode; — I hastily
mounted to the deck, which seemed spacious and well
arranged.

Although lying at anchor, the " Constitution " ap-
peaj'cd to one so uninitiated as myself to roll con-
siderably. Before dark, I crept below again to take
another look at my sleeping-place. There were five
of us, whom fate and our ovm volition had consigned
to a space six feet square, Avith the audacious idea
of resigning ourselves to the arms of Morpheus;
but we were so squeezed together that the god could
not have clasped an individual ; so he must eitlier take
all five at once, or leave us to our fate. Our mat-
tresses were spread (each had a mattress and coverlet),
and we crept in one after the other. ^Mien four had
taken their places, two of them being men of colossal
bulk, the space was filled, and the question arose —
"VMiat was to become of the fifth ? Lie across? That
would have been too uncomfortable for those below.
Under our lieads ? That would not have been agree-
able for H., who was the fifth man ; besides he was so

THE STEERAGE.

scraggy and bony, that I doubt if our heads would not
have \ad the worst of it. At last we all agreed to lie
on our sides, and H. squeezed in. Turning round was
a thing not to be thought of ; and thus we passed our
first night in our long-desired ship.

Next morning, when my left side awoke (my right
lying fast asleep for some time longer), all my limbs
seemed bruised and broken; I almost felt homesick.
I crept out as weU as I could, and went on deck to get
a wash, a bucket serving me for a basin. The wind
blew cold and comfortless through the rigging. AU
was soon in motion below, and as I looked down
the hatchway, I was forcibly reminded of SchiUer's
, " Diver," *

« Wie's von Salamandern, Molchen, land Drachen
Sich regt in dera furchtbaren Hullenrachen." *

Laughter, singing, roaring, cursing, the screams of
children, crying, and praying, resounded in a confused
din up the hatchway. Presently, one sleepy face after
another crept up the ladder, with blinking eyes, accus-
tomed to the nether darkness, and looked towards the
morning sun just breaking through a bank of thin gray
clouds. In about an hour's time, a talismanic word,
pronounced in a loud voice in the forepart of the ship,
put life into the crew, who had been on board some
days: we soon found that this mysterious word meant,
« breakfast " — " dinner " — " supper." We received
coffee, biscuit, and brown bread, but every one had to
find his own can, and to fetch his portion himself.

* Salamanders, and monsters, and dragons did go
Through the fearful jaws of the hell below.

10 WILD SPORTS IN THE' FAR WEST.

I had now time to notice my bed-fellows : H., I have
already described ; the other three were a joiner, a
doctor, and an apothecary, the two latter big enough
to fill up one sleeping-place to themselves. As far as
I could judge on such short acquaintance, they seemed
to promise agreeable society.

Boundless disorder still reigned around. No one
seemed to know where he ought to be ; everybody was
asking for a chest, a box, a trunk: the fair sex, of
whom we had about twenty-five, had made no arrange-
ments among themselves, so that, instead of only eight,
sixteen were speaking at the same time. I sincerely
pitied some among them, who seemed to have been in
better circumstances, but who, probably through insuf-
ficiency of means, were obliged to choose the cheaper
passage in the steerage, and to forego all the comforts
to which they had been accustomed from childhood.
A single man can rough it ; indeed, it is highly inter-
esting to take part in all this life and bustle, and I
would not on any account have tal^en my passage in
the cabin ; but for a woman, it is quite another thing ;
for what may serve as a joke and subject of conversa-
tion to a man, alarms and hurts the feelings of a
woman : it was, however, very different with some
Oldenburg lassies. They seemed as much at home as
in their ferry-boats; the greater the uproar and dis-
order, the more did they laugh and enjoy it. The race
of Israel had about sixty representatives on board,
among them some pretty Jewesses ; had they all been
dirty peddlers, I must have jumped overboard.

After two days, the pilot came on board, the anchor
was weighed, all was life and mirth. None would remain

THE LAST OP GERMANY SEA-SICKNESS. 11

below, and the deck was crowded ; the wind blew fair
and we were soon in the North Sea. The strip of
land became smaller and smaller ; the pilot left us ; his
boat lessened and lessened ; then there was only a thin,
blue line with one dark point, the steeple of Wange-
rode ; this became more misty and indistinct ; the last
trace of home disappeared in the blue distance. There,
behind those thin clouds that seemed to lie on the
water, lived all those who were near and dear to ma in
this world, — and yet I had no tears, for their source
seemed dried up. I stood for a long, long time scan-
ning, with dry eyes, that part of the heavens. I Avent
early to bed to indulge my thoughts. I had hardly
turned in, when my comrades came, and the squeeze
began again. All was tolerably Cj[uiet in the steerage,
most of the party being, pi'obably, affected by the dis-
appearance of their mother country.

Runnuig with a fair wind, the ship soon became
uneasy ; I awoke in the night with a very disagreeable
sensation, to find that my head lay much lower than
my heels. Our berth was on the starboard or right
side of the ship, looking towards the head, and our
feet were towards the ship's side, on account of the
fresh wind ; in the night the wind changed, and the
ship laid over on the port side ; between laughing and
swearing, and not without considerable dilficulty, we
changed our position.

The next morning's sun shone on many a pale and
long face ; the sea was rough, the ship rolled and
pitched fearfully, the effect was awful to look upon.
I have already stated that we had a number of Jews
on board, with few exceptions, from the lowest class;

12 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

tliey were allowed by their rabbins, at least so tliey
avowed, to eat bacon during the voyage, and most of
them had so far availed themselves of the privilege, as,
if not to overload the stomach, at least to take in a very
plentiful supply of the beautiful sweet bacon that was
served out to us. Punishment trod on the heels of
crime ; there was not a corner of the ship unoccupied
by a sick Israelite with a tin basin, or one despairingly
leaning over the side and squaring accounts with
Neptune.

H., the doctor, and myself were quite well, and not
a little did we quiz the poor wretches, who were already
sufficiently tormented. The following day it rained
hard ; the confined space, with all these sufferers, was
almost insupportable — yet it was very disagreeable to
get wet through on deck — I was wretched.

About noon on Sunday, some groups formed here
and there ; people began to feel that it was a misery
not to associate, — yet a sudden qualm would often end
a conversation begun in mirth. Some of the most
resolute began to creep on deck again, but often had to
pay dearly for their temerity, when a heavy sea broke
over the ship, and wet to the skin all within its course.
I never before knew the real advantage of a cloak. In
the evening it cleared up, and I made my way forward
amongst the crew to listen to their songs and stories.

On the follovring day the sea was heavier, and sick-
ness at its height. I was quite disgusted, and climbed
up the rigging to the top to get rid of it, and remained
there till the cook's magic word announced something
warm for the inner man, though very few of the pas-
sengers responded to the call.

LIFE ON BOARD THE CHANNEL. 13

I may as well take this opportunity to say some-
thing about the cooking and manner of living. The
kitchen is a small Avooden house, well secured by clamps
to the deck, as a safeguard against the force of the seas
that break over the ship. It was divided into two
parts ; one for the cabin passengers, the other for the
steerage passengers and crew. The provisions were
good and plentiful. Coffee was served out every morn-
ing, though, to be sure, one had to drink a great deal
of water to get at the coffee ; but I had always been
used to strong coffee, and future experience in the back
woods taught me that, when drunk scalding hot, it
requires a good palate to distinguish between strong
and weak coffee.

It was evening when we approached the French coast,
which first appeared as a bluish line, that grew larger
and larger : before dark, we came near enough to Calais
to distinguish the steeple and houses. Looking over
towards England, we could see nothing beyond the two
lights near Dover. On the following morning, we
were nearer to the coast of England, whose majestic
chalky cliffs were tinged rose-color by the morning
sun. In the evening we passed the Isle of Wight, and
the Avind changing, we did not clear the Channel till
the 27th May.

We were now on the broad ocean; a number of
fishing-boats enlivened the prospect with their many-
colored sails, sometimes white, sometimes yellow, red,
and even black. The sea was green, and the color
especially beautiful under the bows and stern ; the
picture was further animated by a number of porpoises
and albicores leaping from wave to wave. I saw
2

14 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR "WEST.

several strange substances floating on the sea, which I
could not observe more closely, for want of a net to
catch them : I decided on making one.

All went well for several days ; the weather
improved, sea-sickness disappeared, and the fair sex
began to show themselves on deck. I had made a net,
fastened it to a staff, and kept it in readiness for any
thing remarkable floating past ; indeed, for me, every
thing that floated by was remarkable, or at least
Avorth examination. I caught a number of jelly-like
creatures, which had the power of rising or sinking in
the water, and also that of motion ; one kind being about
five or six inches long, and one and a half or two
broad, hollow, and provided with a sort of stomach
marked by a dark spot, the only compact part of the
animal. If left on a dry board for a couple of hours,
it resolved itself into water, excepting the stomach
and a slimy opaque mass with a very thin fine skin.
Sometimes we saw numbers of them linked together,
and always with the dark spot on one side. Some
snails were caught resembling land snails : their shells
contained a blue liquid, which seemed adapted to give
a beautiful dye. I wrote a fcAV lines Avith this dye to
see how the color lasted, and found that it did not
change in the least. The most beautiful of all this
species is unquestionably the " Nautilus," or, as the
English call it, " Portuguese man-of-war." It can raise
itself about three inches above the surface, and steer
its own course, but disappears in a storm ; numerous
feelers of two, three, and four feet, serve to provide
nourishment. I caught one in my net, and happening
to touch it with the back of my hand, it made it smart

SEA SIGHTS A SHARK A ^VRECK. 15

as if stung by a nettle. At night they give out a phos-
phoric hght.

Now we were flying along with a fair wind and fine
weather to our new home ; the ocean had that deep
transparent blue which almost enticed one to leap into
it, to sleep in peace within its depths. My contem-
plations were interrupted by a sight that made the
peaceful sleep rather doubtful — the dorsal fin of a
shark peering above the surface as the ship glided by.
The idea of coming between the triple row of teeth of
such a monster was any thing but poetical. My atten-
tion was soon drawn to another object, to which we
came nearer and nearer, lying dark on the water: at
first I thought it must be a rock, and asked the mate,
but he said there was no rock in that direction, and
that it must be something floating — and so it was ; as
we passed it, it turned out to be a wreck. Nothing is
more adapted to damp the spirits on board a ship than
the sudden appearance of such a "memento mori," to
remind one of that journey which awaits us all, in
which a wreck may be our starting-point, and a shark
the first station.

On the 30th the wind was unfavorable, with a hol-
low sea ; those good people who had nothing to do, be-
came, as usual, sea-sick ; the others managed better.
Suddenly our messmate the doctor came with a pale
and alarmed countenance, to tell us that the smallpox
had broken out on board ; a little girl had it very
violently, and of a bad kind. The carpenter had has-
tily to fit up a place used as a store-room for ropes ;
she was removed thither, away from the other pas-
sengers, and the general apprehension was somewhat
allayed.

16 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

Wliile standing quietly on deck, I heard a tremen-
dous uproar in the steerage ; men swearing, women
screaming, children crying, made a chorus enough to
split one's ears. I jumped down for fear of missing
some fun, and was gre.eted by the most comical sight :
every one had taken refuge on the highest sleeping
places, on the tops of chests, boxes, or any other eleva-
tions, to be clear of the floor, which was taken posses-
sion of by a little white spaniel, which snarled, and
snapped, and foamed at the mouth. All cried out as
I came down the ladder, " A mad dog ! a mad dog ! "
The poor beast seemed to me more sick than mad ; it
ran forward a couple of paces, and got jammed between
two chests, and before it could free itself I had seized
it by the back of the neck, while it snapped and
struggled in vain. I shall long remember the shrieks
of the women, who had mounted into the sleeping
places, as I raised the dog, and thereby brought it
nearer to them than they thought consistent with
their safety. I kept fast hold of the poor thing,
carried him up the ladder, and threw him overboard.
It was the only dog on board, and belonged to poor
William, who came in for the shower-bath of tar on
board the lighter. He took the affair very coolly, and
said, " he was glad the beast was gone, as he was
always putting his paws into his food." He and his
father had remained a long time on deck, and at last,
when they had descended, they did not meet with a very
friendly reception from the old lady, who was lying sick
in her bed-place. William — you — and — your — father
--—are — very — stupid — to — leave — me — a — poor ^r-
sick — woman — all — a — lone — wdiile — you — are -t- a

BATHING AT SEA — DANCING ON BOARD. 17

a ^mu sing — your — selves — on — deck." William de-
fended himself earnestly in Low Dutch, and thought-
lessly seating himself on his mother's cap-box, the lid
gave way under his weight; his ears were well boxed
in consequence.

June 4th. — A cahn, with the sea as smooth as a
mirror, except occasionally when a long swell disturbed
the surface ; the ship was motionless. I felt a great
inclination to bathe, but the captain had forbidden it,
on account of the sharks. Early in the mornnig,
however, H. and I sprang overboard before he was up,
and felt as hght as feathers in the warm sea; I was
much more fatigued than ever I had been in river
bathing, and I had swallowed no slight quantity of

salt water.

I went to sleep after dinner, and as I came on deck
a-ain about two o'clock, I found dancing going on.
The ship was not motionless, though without headway;
the swell made her roll heavily at times, and occasion-
ally a party of dancers, five or six couple, would be
carried from one side to the other, and thereafter, for
a moment attempting to maintain the perpendicular,
yield at last to the laws of gravity, and fall together
in a heap. Towards dark, dancmg ceased; a light
breeze sprang up at sunset, driving us gently before it,
the sea looking still more beautiful with its little hght
foam-crested waves. At night it appeared to be sown
with myi'iads of stars and sparks, particularly where
the ship dashed through the waters, throwing oif the
spray: it shone as if a fire was under the water —
every wave that broke against the bows, gave hght
enough to exhibit the letters in a book. Although
2*

18 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR "WEST.

it was against rules for steerage passengers to pass
abaft the capstan, our kind-hearted captain was not very-
strict in enforcing this order, and for hours together
I have watched the sparkhng foam under the stern.
Once while so occupied I was startled by a rushing,
snorting noise, and looking up, saw the dark form of a
grampus from about eighteen to twenty feet in length,
rushing through the flashing waters as if swimming in
liquid fire ; he disappeared close under the stern.

On the following day we fell in with another ship :
on our hoisting our Bremen colors, she showed an
American ensign ; we passed about fifty yards from
her. The captains exchanged their latitude and lon-
gitude, and gave the name of the ports they came from
and were bound to : her destination was Oporto. A
singular feeling is awakened by thus meeting another
ship on the immense ocean ; to see another little v»'orld
appear, pass within hail, then diminish to a white
point, and disappear, leaving the poor emigrant more
deserted than before on the waste of waters.

On the 7th June, we were running eleven knots an
hour ; there was not much sea, so that very few were
sea-sick, and most had appeared on deck and collected
into picturesque groups, — here a couple playing cards,
there one with a prayer-book, a couple of girls knitting
and reading together, and some with wrinkled brows,
strange contortions of the mouth, and uncouth sounds,
industriously studying, and endeavoring to pronounce,
English. These quiet pleasant days were named by us
fine fricandeau days, for the following reason. We
could not eat all the salt meat and bacon that was
served out, so we mixed the remains, after mincmg it

STORMY WEATHER. 19

small, with bread crumbs and yolks of eggs, kneaded
it together, and fried it in butter ; hence the name, for
in bad weather we could do nothing of the sort.

With so much fine weather I began to fear that we
should miss seeing a storm, and so lose the real de-
light of a sea voyage; but on the 16tli it began to
blow, the sea got heavier and heavier, the faces longer
and longer — and by midnight old Boreas was in full
bluster, the ship dashing nobly through the brilliantly
illuminated sea. I was delighted with the war of the
elements, and leaning over the side, watched for hours
the raging storm and restless waves. I did not go to
bed till morning, when I took my mattress out of the
berth, and laid it on the deck, as it was impossible for
five to sleep below.

The next day's sun lighted up a wild but glorious
scene ; immense dark blue waves, with green ridges
crested with foam, for a moment "towering in pride
of place," then sinking to make room for others ; a
shoal of large porpoises were leaping joyfully among
the boisterous waves. Sailors say that they can tell,
by the course of these fish, the quarter that the wind
will blow from, only they are not agreed whether they
go against the wind or run before it ; — merely a dif-
ference of diametrically opposite directions. The gale
was now so heavy that we were obliged to lie to, with
the helm lashed a-lee. In the midst of it we saw a
ship running before the wind; with very little sail:
she was frequently hidden by the intervening waves,
sfeot quickly past, and was soon out of sight.

On the 19th, the weather moderated in the morning,
but the gale came on again with greater force towards

20 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

the evening. The scene in the steerage was piteous in
the extreme ; sea-sickness at its height. — H. and I
attempted to joke with some, who were seated on the
deck, deadly pale, with tin basins between their knees,
patiently awaiting the dreaded paroxysms. We put a
slice of nice fat bacon into a plate, covered it over, then
went to the sufferers and asked them how they felt.
Instead of answering, they mournfully shook their
heads. " Won't you take something ? " asked H., with
a kind voice ; the very idea occasioned disgust, and
with wry faces they motioned us not to speak of it ;
not yet satisfied, I uncovered the plate, and H., holding
up the slice before them, asked in the most amiable,
S}Tiipathizing voice, " Perhaps you could eat a little
bit of bacon ? " This was like a watchword ; it worked
like magic, and we were glad to fly on deck, almost
alarmed at the success of our plans.

At noon pease-soup was served out ; I had taken a
basinful down below, a proceeding which required no
little skill, and leaning against the sleeping-place had
almost finished it, when H. came cursing and swearing
down the ladder, and standing at the foot of it, showed
us his coat, telling us, fiery with rage, that one of the
Oldenburghers had spilt all his pease-soup over him.
At this moment a tin dishful of the same came
flying down the hatchway, and emptied itself so com-
pletely over ill-fated H. that his eyes were bunged
up ; nor was this all — the soup was only the prologue
to the play, for who should follow his soup, head-
foremost, but poor William, in propria jjersonu, who,
but for alio-htino^ on H.'s shoulders must have broken
his neck. Both fell t0";ether in the mess. It would

THE COAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 21

be a vain attempt to describe H.'s rage ; had we not
sprung to the rescue, poor William would have been
strangled. When the gale moderated, more sail was
made, but the sea ran high, and through the wind being
north-west, we could not lay our course ; still way was
made, and that was a comfort.

In the afternoon we saw another ship, and under
Bremen colors. The captains exchanged information
through the speaking-trumpets; we hastened towards
the land of the stranger, while she was in full sail
towards home ; with mournful thoughts, I watched the
snowy sails, growing less and less, until all traces of
them were lost in the distant horizon.

Time began to hang heavy on our hands, our wished-
for port still distant, and the wind unfavorable ; we
approached the banks of Newfoundland, whose southern
points we were rounding under a thick fog. Towards
evening another ship was seen ; then the fog came on
thicker, so that the bell was frequently struck, or a
horn sounded, to prevent our running foul of other
vessels. Our captain was also anxious on account of
icebergs, which the other ship had spoken of, and the
thermometer was often dipped overboard, to try the
temperature of the sea, as it falls considerably on the
approach of icebergs.

The fog lay thick and damp, and the north-west wind
blew very cold, so that our cloaks came again into
request. The smallpox did not seem mclined to leave
us, as one of the crew was now attacked, and confined
to the sick cabin. It was as cold as it is in Germany
in December, and if three fourths of the passengers had
not been driven on deck by the fumes of sulphur

22 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

kindled in the steerage, they would not have ventured
out of the warm but foul air of their sleeping-places.
It is surprising that we had not more sickness on board,
for pure air is one of the main sources of health, and
this was much wanted between decks.

At night the wind changed in our favor, and it began
to rain. I had placed my mattress near the hatchway,
and was wet through before I awoke.

The 4th of July approached, — the liberation-day of
the Americans. The captain said he should make it
a holiday, and give us some punch, and we decided on
making preparations for it ; a young man named
Zellner, who had already been in America, sketched
the plan. First a transparency was painted, with the
American arms, the stripes and stars, and rising eagle,
with, as a motto, the names of the four heroes of the
revolution, "Washington, La Fayette, Franklin, Kosci-
usko. It hajjpened that one of the passengers had
some rockets and other fireworks, which he produced
for the occasion. At twelve at night, between the 3rd
and 4th July, the transparency Avas illuminated, and
a song composed for the nonce, sung to the tune of
" God save the King." The fireworks were let off,
and the rockets fired from our fowling-pieces. The
lights were reflected from the calm water. The captain
now invited our party, and some other of the steerage
passengers into the cabin, where punch was handed
round, while the mate served it out on deck to the
crew and the rest of the passengers, pressing it par-
ticularly on the ladies. The consequences soon became
manifest. We had sat for about half an hour in the
cabin, laughing and drinking ; but I took the precaution

FESTIVITIES ON THE FOURTH OF JULY. 23

of drinking only one glass, the punch appearing very-
strong, and much too sweet for my taste. Observing
that the eyes of the doctor and some others began to
twinkle, and that all Avere getting rather jovial, I rose,
and the others followed, and we came out on deck to
see the fun, which every moment became wilder and
wilder. The sailors were aloft on the yards, letting off
squibs ; the ship's bell was being rung as if for fire, and
rockets and blank cartridges were fired out of every
available musket. Zellner's double-barrelled gun burst,
luckily without doing harm ; but the quarter-deck was
the place where the " mirth and fun " was most " fast
and furious." Oilman, an excellent violin player, had
at first kindly offered to play for the general amusement ;
but when the row got too wild he withdrew, and another,
burning with desire to show his skill, mounted on the
capstan, and began to wake such discordant sounds. out
of his fiddle, that nothing but the general uproar pre-
vented everybody's teeth from being set on edge;
nevertheless they all waltzed away like mad, caring
nothing for the motion of the ship, which occasionally
threw them against the side in a confused heap. The
man on the capstan continued playing as if possessed,
his face turned to the stem, and maintained his place
with great skill ; and when the dancers were all thrown
together by the motion of the ship, he leant toivards
them, playing away louder and louder, but without
showing the slightest change of countenance. AVilliara's
mother threw her arms round my neck, begging me to
dance with her; next to her stood an old ropemaker,
Avho had been ill all the voyage ; he tried to stand on
one leg, whistling his own tune, while turning on his

24 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR AYEST.

axis; the lanky tailor lay on his back, with his arms
and legs working like a telegraph; in short, of the 118
passengers, not more than six were quite sober. To
have a better view I got into the long boat, and laughed
till the tears came ; but as one can have too much of a
good thing, as I was tired with laughing, and although
I had drank very little, yet felt some bad effects, I
crept down to my bed. As I afterwards learnt, the
mate, with the intention of making everybody drunk,
had heated the rum, put very little water, and plenty
of sugar. I was up again by daylight, and helped many
of the victims to their beds.

None of the passengers excepting Yogel and H.
showed themselves for a long time, and when they did
at last, what pale, dull faces appeared — what hollo av,
heav}" eyes — what universal complaints of headache and
wretchedness! William especially went about very
chapfallen ; in the midst of the fun he had sat himself
down, and remained in the cook's steep-tub, Avhere the
salt meat for the morrow was soaking.

We had a great deal of lightning in the evening, and
about eleven o'clock the heaviest thunderstorm I had
ever experienced broke over us. Flash after flash of
lightning, peal on peal of thunder throughout the whole
vault of heaven. I went aloft to help the sailors ; one
moment it was as light as day, with the black threat-
ening sky above and beneath us, like a dark stripe, the
noble ship rushing thi'ough the glowing foam-covered
ocean. It was sublime — such moments are never to be
forgotten. The breeze lasted till the 10th July, when
it again fell calm. The ship lay almost motionless, and
as all had recovered, alike from sea-sickness and from

SHARK AND PILOT-FISH. 25

the effects of the punch, the greater number of the
passengers showed themselves on deck forming various
groups. About noon a shark came towards us, the
first we had seen for some days ; he swam quietly round
the ship, and then disappeared, notwithstanding all the
temptations we offered in the shape of large pieces of
meat, but which concealed an enormous hook. He was
accompanied by two pilot-fish, whose attachment to the
shark is wonderful. These pilot-fish are from twelve to
fourteen inches long, with stripes of blue and white of
about a finger's breadth across their back. I shot one,
but could not pick it up. The shark is sometimes
accompanied by five or six of these fish; he never
attacks them, and they probably point out his prey ; for
though we saw nothing more of the shark, it was most
likely under the ship, as the pilot-fish played about
under the bowsprit, a certain sign that he was not far
off. We also saw a sword-fish of twelve or fourteen
feet long.

Several stormy petrels, or, as the English call them,
" Mother Carey's chickens," had followed us nearly all
the voyage, and were now swimming or flying about the
ship ; I shot one, and caught it in my net as it floated
past. They are about the size of swallows, and fly some-
thing like them; they are web-footed, dive well, and
have a large horny hole in the beak.

The breeze sprang up again next day, but so light,
that the ship seemed to be asleep, — fancy her in a
night-cap and dressmg-gown. Our dear companions
became day by day more insupportable ; the liveliest,
who were always on deck, began to quarrel among
themselves ; the others merely vegetated ; they remained
3

26 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

day and night in their sleeping-places, without even
takmg the trouble to wash themselves ; perhaps they
w^ere afraid of taking too much water out of the sea, as
the ship was near sand-banks. "We tried all sorts of
amusements, such as reasonable grown-up men would
not be suspected of patronizing. Amongst others, we
played at soldiers ; working men, shopkeepers, apothe-
caries, Jews, Clu^istians, sailors, old and young, all took
part in it, with sticks, brooms, harpoons, fish-grains,
hunting knives, wind instruments (the ship's horn for
fog-signals), flags, &c., just like little boys. The whole
play was carried out — rebellion, desertion (one of the
Jews was the deserter), court-martial, execution, and
tocsin: the tocsin bell was a shirt stretched over a
hoop, and beaten with a broomstick. The best of all
Avas, that the doctor turned up his nose at us, and talked
about our being childish ! Was n't he hooted ?

July 18th. — Running merrily with a fair wind, our
hearts swelling with fresh hopes. We collected the
Oldenburghers on deck to sing a song, the chorus of
which was, " Peasants ride in coaches in America." I
thought the good people might be in error as to coaches,
and that wheelbarrows would be nearer the mark. But
what should we be without hope ? We were near the
land. At early dawn I sprang out of a hammock I
had manufactured, for I could not sleep in the narrow
berth, and mounted aloft. Placid, just crisped by a
light south-east wind, lay the sea, deep, deep beneath me,
dandlmg the noble ship, playing with her, yielding
before her, and then following with a slight splash. I
gained the highest point, clasped the mast with my
left ai-m, and delightedly breathed the pure morning

LAND HO

27

air. The horizon became lighter and lighter, the view
clearer and clearer — the mist vanished — a hollow sound
like distant thunder broke on the listening ear ! It was
surf, — there lay the land, and plainer and plainer as the
light increased appeared a blue stripe above the dark
waves of the horizon. " Land ! " cried I from the mast
head, and " land ! " " land ! " resounded from one to an-
other between decks. As ants run out of their nest when
it is disturbed, so rushed the half-wakened passen-
gers up the hatchway, hastened to the bows, and open-
ing their blinking eyes as wide as they could, repeated
" land ! " although I am convinced that it was not pos-
sible to see it from the deck, as the day did not get any
clearer, and only the highest pomts were visible. Our
lanky friend the tailor came up among the rest, holdmg
a plate of butter in one hand, a ship's biscuit in the
other ; as he heard the word " land ! " repeated, he set his
provisions on one of the hen-coops, and ran with the
others to look at the land. William, who probably
thought that there would be plenty of time to contem-
plate it, sat himself quietly down on the hen-coop, and
of course on the butter, wliich had become rather soft
after a night spent between decks ; there he sat, kick-
ing his heels against the rails, his hands comfortably
stowed in his pockets, and whistling to express his
content. The tailor returning, naturally anxious about
his week's allowance of butter, which he, confiding in
the general honesty, had, in a manner, left exposed in
the highway, stood immovable with astonishment,
with eyes and mouth wide open, looking at this picture
of innocence and self-satisfaction sitting in his butter.
AYilliam, unconscious of evil, and amused at the tailor's

28 WILD SPORTS IN THE PAR WEST.

astonishment, put on a broad grin, which stopped his
whistling, but he kept up the time with his heels. At
last the astounded tailor found his tongue, and calling
out, " Oh the wretch ! " he sprang on the unprepared
William, pulled him across his knee, and pointing out
the butter to the bystanders, exclaimed in a sorrowful
voice, " There, there it is ! "

As we came nearer to the long-desired land, we
could distinguish woods, fields, houses, farms, and single
trees ; a beautiful sight, but not to be enjoyed long, for
the captain not liking to approach too close, stood off
again, and in the evening it was hardly visible. Early
on the 19th we made all sail; about eleven a small
vessel stood towards us under American colors : we
hoisted ours, and the pilot came on board. Now all
was fresh life among the passengers. So near the land,
fresh water was served out, and there was washing and
splashing and smartening up going on in every corner.
Here a young Jewess adorned herself with earrings
containing false stones, there a man hastily washed a
shirt; on one side women combing and brushing chil-
dren, there others, their toilet ended, strutting about
in their best ; — and there lay the poor ropemaker face
downwards, across the capstan ; he had but one pair of
trowsers, which the kind tailor was busily mending.
The pilot, a fine-looking man, as all these American
pilots are, and dressed in the newest fashion, soon
carried us into the entrance of New York harbor,
near Staten Island. Where shall I find a pen that can
paint what we saw, or describe our feelings ? The sight
of this noble land, robed in the most beautiful 'green,
with luxuriant fields, fine houses, and here and there

STATEN ISLAND OUR DESTINATION. 29

remains of the original forests, forts on each side pro-
tecting the entrance, the bright blue heavens above,
and rustling waves beneath, melted my heart, and made
me long to be alone. I ran aloft, and looked with
enchanted, and, why should I deny it, with moistened
eyes, on the beautiful country which seemed openino*
her arms to receive us — and the question rose unavoid-
ably : " Why is not that my home, and why must I leave
all my heart holds dear to purchase such a sight ? " The
sailors, who came running up the rigging like cats,
disturbed my meditations. The anchor was dropped,
and the sails furled. A boat under a yellow flag came
off from Staten Island, to inquire after our healths.
Luckily all our sick had recovered, and all the party
looked in good condition ; so that the good doctor, in
spite of a pair of hexagonal spectacles, could not find a
trace of the late sickness, and left the ship with the
words "All's well." In the evening, H., the doctor, and
I plunged overboard to bathe. We were not allowed
to leave the ship till the morrow, when a schooner came
to take us all with bag and baggage to a large square
block house, about a hundred yards from the shore, to
undergo a short quarantine, and to show whether our
luggage contained any thing liable to duty, or requiring
washing. The customs' examination was not severe,
and nobody had to pay ; the dirty clothes were more
strictly examined, and large buckets were brought, that
those who had neglected to wash their clothes on the
passage might do so now. As we quitted the " Consti-
tution," where we had passed sixty-four days of mingled
joy and sorrow, taking leave of her crew was, to me at
least, like taking leave of old friends, and as the boat
3*

30

^yIL^D SPORTS in the far west.

shoved off we gave them a loud cheer, Avhich was an-
swered by the crew in English fashion with three hur-
rahs, preceded by " hip, hip, hip." This was not very
well taken by our Jewish passengers, who could not find
" hip, hip, hip " in their dictionaries, and one of them
remarked that " he did not see why they should so laugh
at us."

CHAPTER 11.

NEW YORK TO BUFFALO.

Good advice to emigrants — Examination of the baggage — New York
__ Schw— z's boarding-house and its deficiencies — Aspect of the
city _ Abundance of fruit — An Irishman's funeral — Fire — Re-
ports from Illinois — The German reformed church — Extraordi-
nary scene — Soldiers — The Scotch and their national costume —
Negroes— My tobacco speculation— Unsuccessful shooting excur-
sion — Departure for Albany — Utica — An American breakfast—
The canal-boat and its arrangement— Collision— Crowded state
of the boat, and consequent discomfort — Lockport — Niagara —
Hamilton — Visit to a countryman — Excursion into the woods

— Meeting with an Indian — Bear hunt— Bivouac in the woods

— Maize — Buffalo — The ' William Tell ' — Village politicians.

Although this blockhouse was called the Quarantine
building, the quarantine was not very strict; several
of us got a boat to take us on shore, and for the first
time we stepped on the soil of a new world — for us a
truly beautiful and noble world, but still a new, and
therefore a strange one. Singular feeUngs came over
me as I wandered under strange trees, among the pale
Americans, and sought some quiet spot where I could
indulge my thoughts; they were mournful, though at
the same time full of hope and confidence. It was late
when I returned to my companions, whom I found
assembled round some bread and cheese and beer, and
well satisfied with their reception in their new country.
While sitting enjoying God's good gifts, which we had

32 WILD SPORTS IK THE FAR WEST.

been so long deprived of, a stranger came into our room,
but as he addressed us in German, we -vvere soon on a foot-
ing of old acquaintance ; he was a baker, who had been
about thirty years in America, and had realized a hand-
some fortune ; he came with the praiseworthy intention
of giving us good advice. The good man might have
saved his trouble, for, wise in our own conceits, like all
new comers, we knew better than he did. He had
lived principally in Pennsylvania, and, like all the
people of that State, he addi-essed each as " Thou." He
cautioned us against the Americans, telling us that they
would cheat us whenever they could; "but," said he,
"if you must trust to any one, trust an American
sooner than a German. It is a disgrace to the Ger-
mans, but it is too true : beware of them, for they are
much worse towards their own countrymen than any
others ; because," added he, confidentially, " they are
the simplest. When you land at New York, don't go
into any of the low public-houses, near the landing-place
— ' William Tell ' — and such like — they are all dens
of thieves ; and now if you do — you have been warne'd,
— it will be your o^^rD. faults and you can't complain."
He continued for some time giving us advice on this
subject, and although, at that time, I made no exception
to the general rule of knowing better, disbelieving his
calumnious warnings because they did not agree with
my preconceived fixed opinions, I found afterwards that
his words were unfortunately but too true.

A second examination of the baggage exposed more
dirt ; sick of remaining longer in disagreeable contact
with it, we five took the steamer that starts at 'nine
o'clock for New York, making the passage of nine

CAR-DRIVERS AN IRISH FUNERAL. 33

miles in half an hour. There was too much to see, and
too much that was quite new, for the eye to dwell lono-
enough on any one object to receive a deep impres-
sion, and I hardly knew that the boat had started,
when she stopped at the landing-place, and the immense
sea of houses of New York, begirt by a forest of masts,
lay before us.

The steamer had hardly landed, when we were sur-
rounded by a number of car-drivers, offering to carry
our luggage to our destined abode ; we chose two,
which took all our things, and for which we had to pay
altogether one dollar — but they had a tolerable distance
to go. Zellner, who had already been in New York,
recommended Schw — z's boarding-house, whither we all
went. In all my life I never saw such a dirty establish-
ment as old Madame Schw— z's : it makes me sick now
to think of it. Of course I did not remain much in the
house, but for some days lounged through the fine broad
streets, admiring several handsome buildings. I was
much struck by the immense amount of shipping
ranged thickly side by side all round the town, and by
the superfluity of southern fruits ; in every street were
carts full of pine-apples, oranges, cocoa-nuts, &c. The
finest pines were to be had for from sixpence to a
shilling.

I had wan(fered about for a couple of hours, and was
about to return to the boarding house, when turning the
corner of a street I came upon one of the most extra-
ordinary cavalcades I ever saw. It was the funeral of
a poor Irishman, which I will briefly describe, as it is
well worth it. First came a hearse covered with dirty
cloth that once had been black. The driver was seated

34 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

in front, by no means in a mourning attitude ; his left
foot rested on his right knee, the left elbow on the left
knee. He was dressed in a shabby blue coat, a hat with
the rim torn and hanging down; his trowsers might
have been white if they had been washed ; his left hand
held an apple, which he was eating with the greafest
composure ; the right held the whip, with which from
time to time he encouraged his horses ; the reins were
twisted round his left knee. The hearse was followed
by six luggage cars, each containing from ten to twelve
mourners, sitting back to back, with feet hanging down
the sides, men and women together, in clothes of all
colors, eating, drinking, and laughing : to say the least,
it appeared to me a very original kind of funeral.

It was late when I arrived at the boarding-house,
for when I turned homewards I found so many things
to attract my attention that the hours flew rapidly by.
All my companions were assembled, and we had much
to relate. As we were going to bed about twelve,
there was a cry of " fire ! fire ! " in the streets. I
jumped up and looked out of the window, — the sky
above the opposite houses was deep red. As I was
still dressed, and none of the others would go, I ran
down stairs, and hastened in the direction of the fire ;
I hurried along one street after another, following the
reflection in the sky ; yet it was three quarters of an
hour before I arrived at the fire. It was a small
wooden building still in flames, so I came in good time
to see the engines worked. There were several Ger-
mans among those who had hastened to the fire; I
asked one of them how far it was to my boarding-house,
and learnt to my horror that it was two miles off. He

GERMAN BOARDING-HOUSE. 35

assured me that if I ran to every fire that broke out in
New York, I should have nothing else to do all night,
as there are seldom less than two in the twenty-four
hours. His words were confirmed by another alarm in
a few hours ; and during the three months that I re-
mained in New York, I remember very few nights
passing without an alarm of fire. The fire companies
are excellent, and the most respectable citizens are
enrolled amongst the firemen ; the engines are hand-
some, and formed of brass and iron, often adorned with
a pretty vignette ; they are di-awn by the men. How
different from our old thunder-boxes, in Germany,
where it takes half an hour to get the horses ready.

A week passed so quickly, I could hardly persuade
myself that it was more than two days. I became ac-
quainted with several Germans. The dirt of the
boarding-house became insupportable. I had been in-
troduced to a German family by a mutual acquaintance
from Brunswick, and they agreed to let me board and
lodge with them for three dollars a week, the ordinary
price, washing not included. Washing costs at the rate
of four cents a single piece.

I had come to New York with the intention of
proceeding to Vera Cruz, but heard so many unfavor-
able reports of the state of Mexican affliirs, that I was
at first undecided; and afterwards, as so many told
me of the disturbed and uncertain state of that country,
and warned me, as a new comer, against going there, I
decided on taking a good look at the United States
before I visited other countries.

My prospects here seemed to improve. A young
farmer from IlHnois, whom I met in New York, said

36 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

that it was not clifRcult to get a farm on lease there —
a lease in the American sense of the word, where the
farmer obtains a piece of cleared land, with the neces-
sary buildings, for Avhich he gives the proprietor, who
also finds most of the farming implements, one third of
the produce. At the same time, he assured me th"at
two men could easily manage sixty acres. But he sup-
pressed the fact that these two must be well acquainted
with the American system of fanning.

All sorts of plans came under my consideration,
without my coming to any determination — and time
shpped by.

One Sunday morning I wished to go to church.
An acquaintance offered to accompany me. "\Ye went
to the German reformed church. We were rather late,
and I was astonished at the excitement and disorder
which prevailed. I was soon to be still more surprised.
The preacher, a robust, powerful man, was very red in
the face, spoke with great vehemence and considerable
ability. He paused every now and then to take a
drink. Suddenly, as the confusion was somewhat sub-
siding, and the preacher was commenting on the text,
a lady stood up, and began to speak very loud. At
first I could not understand what she wanted. "With
surprise, I recognized her to be my landlady, and heard
such words as " shame — insufferable — insolence —
men — turn out of the pulpit," &c. As I was reflecting
on what this could mean, the disturbance broke out
afresh. " DoAvn w^ith him out of the pulpit ! " " Kick
him out ! " " Cane him well ! " Such were the sounds
that filled the church. The congregation attempted to
get the preacher out of the pulpit, but this was not so

A PULFIT IN A STATE OP SIEGE. 37

easy as it appeared. The pulpit had a flight of steps
on each side, with a door fastening inside at the foot
of each. The insurgents attempted to storm the steps
on the right, but their pastor proved to them that he
belono;ed to the church militant in the literal meaninsc
of the word. He made only two steps to the bottom,
and gallantly defended the- door. But too many dogs
are the death of the fox. The garrison was too weak.
While he defended one side, the other was left exposed.
The insurgents made a breach, stormed the left-hand
steps, and took the garrison in the rear. The preacher
was dragged into the middle of the church, but
managed to slip out of the hands of his persecutors, and
escaped into a corner, when, putting himself into a
regular boxing attitude, he called out with an oath —
" Come on, all of you." These words were not mere
bravado ; for now that his rear was secure, he kept
them all at bay. I had watched the whole affair,
standing on one of the benches. It was not a fair
fight ; for while those in front kept out of reach of his
fists, those in the rear kept striking him on the head
with umbrellas. At last, making a desperate sally, he
succeeded in escaping. This was all that the congrega-
tion desired, and several talked of " fetching the other
preacher ; " but their minds were too excited, and so
they separated. On coming home, I learnt the cause
of this uproar from my landlady. The congregation
had dismissed this hard-fisted preacher, and elected
another, who was to have preached to-day for the first
time ; but they had reckoned without their host, for
the ex-pastor was up at daybreak, and having his
own key, had gone into the church, and taken pos-
4

38 AVILD SrOKTS IN THE FAR AVEST.

session of tlie pulpit, -where he sat patiently a-svaiting
the turn of events. The other preacher came in -with
the congregation, and being a quiet, peaceable man, he
retired ; and the former, in spite of threats and abuse,
began the serA'ice, and would have carried his point,
if my heroine had not lighted the match which set
them all in a blaze. Some years afterwards I learnt
that the same sort of disturbance had occurred several
times in that church.

I was surprised at seeing no soldiers in New York,
except now and then a couple or so of military -looking
men, with blue jackets and trowsers, and glazed caps.
These are Uncle Sam's soldiers, who devote themselves
to their country for eight dollars a month. They are
generally men who dislike hard work, yet cannot gain
a living in any other way. They enlist for five years.
There are besides bodies of militia, German as well as
American battalions, who turn out on grand occasions,
and are well dressed. A short time ago some of the
Scots had a meeting, and got up a battalion in highland
costume, the different clans in their proper tartan, with
plaids, bonnets, feathers, targets, claymores, bagpipes,
and the chiefs with eagle's feathers. Thus they
marched through the greater part of the town. The
next day, the " New York Herald " made severe re-
marks upon people having a claim to respectability
marching through the town with naked legs, having
music into the bargain, to attract everybody's attention.

A jrreat number of emigrants arrived about this
time, and filled all the taverns. I discovered that the
Americans did not seem to care so much about
foreigners as I had imagined ; and to my great vexa-

NEGROES AT NEW YORK. 39

tion, I saw that Germans and Irish were thought little
more of than negroes. Of course there are honorable
exceptions, for the educated Americans know how to
make a distinction ; yet, at that time, it is very possible
that I may have been misinformed.

It is disagreeable to the feelings of the newly arrived
European to behold the treatment of the unfortunate
negroes ; for though New York is not a slave state
they are considered no better than cattle. Yet they
enjoy a number of privileges, which they lately obtained
through the kindness of General Jackson. At the
same time, they are not allowed to enter an omnibus,
nor to sit anywhere but in the gallery of the theatre.
They must keep to their own churches, and cannot be
sworn as witnesses against the whites.

After a few weeks' residence in New York, my land-
lord asked me to try a speculation with him, in order,
as he said, to get rich in a short time. He proposed to
open a cigar shop. I had no inclination for it at first,
having been so often warned against the Germans, but
so many people spoke well of him, and said he was so
much esteemed, that I began to think he must be an
exception. I embarked all the money I possessed in
this business. My partner obtained some,' but upon
credit ; and in a short time a cigar shop was opened by
the firm, in Broadway, the most frequented street of
New York. It seemed a miracle how well I had
managed my affairs. Hardly a month had I been in
America, and already I carried on a business of my
own ! It was Avell that this dream lasted only a short
time, or I should have lost everything.

I bagan now to Americanize myself. I was no longer

40 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

surprised when I saw a fat mulatto woman walking
along the street with a pipe in her mouth, or a lady
handsomely dressed, and in the newest fashion, but
without stockings ; just as little did I marvel to see a
well-dressed gentleman, in a black frockcoat, and black
trousers, gold watch, chain, &c., going to market with
a basket under his arm ; and I hardly looked round if I
saw a New Englander riding from market, in bad
weather, at full gallop, with very short stirrups, if
basket of vegetables hanging to his left arm, while his
right hand grasped an outspread umbrella. In fact, a
man may accustom himself to any thing.

I now resolved on making a shooting excursion, and
as Zellner had described the banks of the Hudson as so
very beautiful, we started one fine morning with our
guns, by one of the numerous steamers, and ran up, to
our shooting grounds, a distance of twenty-two miles,
for ^sixpence. The voyage alone was worth ten times
the money, on account of the beauty of the scenery.
The Hudson is certainly the loveliest river I ever saw,
with its smooth majestic stream, its high steep cliffs,
clothed with the brightest green, with dwelling-houses
and villages wherever space will allow, and thousands
of vessels of all descriptions giving such life to the whole,
as fills one Avith wonder and delight. As we started
late, it was dark when we arrived at our landing-place.
We were up at daybreak next morning, and set off to
search the woods and fields, eager to spill blood. Weary
and exhausted with climbing over the number of fences
and hedges, leaping over fallen or half-decayed trees,
Avading through morasses and mounting hills, we ar-
rived in the evenin": at the house of a cousin of Zell-

SHOOTING EXCURSION NEAR NEW YORK. 41

ner's without having seen a feather or any thing else in
tlie shape of game. Our host received us hospitably,
told us that we did not understand how to find game
in America, and promised he would accompany us on
the morrow. Our hopes revived again ; we were ready
by break of day, inhaling the sweet morning air and
determined upon slaughter, and doubting whether our
game bags would hold all that we meant to kill. It
was yesterday's fortune repeated. Here we skirted
a wood, there a fence, here we waded a marsh, and there
pushed through a thicket ; from daybreak to noon, not
a shot had been fired. By the time we arrived on the
banks of the river, and saw a steamer running down
stream, Z. and I had had enough of it, and were re-
joiced to see the steamer answer our signals and stop to
take us on board. Hungry and tired, without having
seen a single head of American game, we returned to
New York. After this excursion, I was in no hurry
to try another. I had had enough for once, and at-
tended assiduously to my business; taking pains at
the same time to learn English, for although I had
made some progi-ess in Germany, it sounded like so
much Chaldaic or Chinese, till my ear became ac-
customed to it; then the foundation that I had for-
merly laid helped me to acquire it quickly.

I remained some weeks longer in the town, otherwise
I must have intrusted all that I possessed to the in-
tegrity of strangers, and an inward misgiving warned
me against so doing. At the same time, I began to
reflect that I was fast bound in the town, and could not
get out into the open country ; and this feeling became
every day more painful and vexatious. It struck me
4*

42 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

that this was not exactly the object for which I had
left all that was dear in my native land, and often
while brooding over my late step, it seemed a wild, op-
pressive dream. It seemed as if I could not be in the
long desired land of freedom, so many thousands of
miles from my loved country, and that I might awake
at any moment and thank God that it was only a
frightful delusion. It was however a reality, and I
decided on breaking my fetters. I soon arranged with
my partner ; with the exception of a small sum down
for travelling expenses, he was to keep the rest in the
business till the end of March, and then repay the bare
sum I had at first invested.

I left my two chests containing clothes and books in
the care of H., and taking some clean linen and a double-
barrelled gun, I started for the wide world, according
to my heart's desire. Whither, I neither knew nor
cared, except that I wished in the first place to see the
Falls of Niagara, and then to follow wherever fate might
send me. I was free, once more free, and felt my heart
swell with the feeling of independence. I no longer
envied the. birds of passage, whose flight towards the
south my eyes had lately so mournfully followed. I
was as free as they were, and no less mclined to use my
unbound pinions.

At five in the evening of the 24th Oct., the new
steamer " Diamond " left New York for Albany. I
stood on her deck inhaling with delight the pure bal-
samic air, viewing with enchanted eyes the glorious
scenery.

My costume seemed probably rather eccentric to
some of the stiff Americans, who kept staring with

RAILWAY TO UTICA. 43

curiosity at the foreigner who was leaning on his gun,
and thinking little about them, lost in admiration of
the wonderfully beautiful landscape that extends along
the shores of the Hudson. Though my costume was
nothing extraordinary, yet the tight leather trousers,
high waterproof boots, short green shooting jacket,
green cap, and open shirt collar, might have appeared
so to them. The beautiful double-barrelled gun at-
tracted many eyes, as ^;ell as the double-edged hunting-
knife that hung on the left side. The German game
bag, the powder-horn, shot belt, — all, in short, was
different to their fashion.

The night was cold and damp, and as on the follow-
ing morning the sun broke through the thick clouds,
liis rays were reflected from the steeples of Albany ; a
pretty little town, and though I stayed too short a
time to be able to judge, I believe it is likely to become
a handsome city. I left that morning by the train for
Utica. It was the first time that I had travelled by
a railroad, and cutting the air with the speed of an
arrow made an indescribably agreeable impression on
me. A drunken man next to me told me long stories,
in the still strange English, with a comically mournful
expression of countenance, and afforded me much
amusement. We arrived at Utica during the night.
In the street I found some men with a carriage, and
inquired of them when the canal boat left ; they
pointed to the carriage, one of them taking me by the
arm ; but I, remembering former warnings, set my
foot against the door, and asked about the fare :
" Nothing to pay, nothing to pay," said they, and at
one step I was seated in the carriage, which soon

44 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

stopped before a very grand house. I did not feel
quite comfortable under all this hospitality, for every
light in the large building seemed to call out to me,
" Money is the principal thing, therefore get money,"
which sentence I recollect having to translate at Dr.
Fliigel's, at Leipzig. I walked in, however, and in-
quired for the first boat going to Buffalo; meantime
be it said, my misgiving was not altogether unwar-
ranted, for I had to pay fifty ,cents, about 2s. 2d., for
a cup of tea w^ith bread and butter. The price of the
boat was six dollars, table included, which seemed too
dear, and a German Jew who w^as present took my
part and made an agreement for me for four dollars.
It was very cold when I went on board the canal boat
a short time before its departure, and I found the warm
cabin very agreeable.

The morning broke dull and rainy, and the break-
fast-bell roused us too soon from our beds. An Ameri-
can breakfast is something astonishing to a newly
arrived German. He beholds in surprise coffee, pork,
pickled gherkins, potatoes, turnips, eggs, bread, butter,
and cheese, all on the table at once ; but as soon as
the stomach has become accustomed to this strange
assemblage, I must honestly acknowledge that it suits
a hungry Christian man much better than dry bread
and weak coffee.

After breakfast I had plenty of time to notice the
company with whom I shared the narrow space of a
cabin in a canal boat. There were ten gentlemen and
three ladies; these latter had a cabin to themselves,
separated from the other by a red curtain ; over the
entrance was the insci'iption, " Ladies' Cabin," with

AMERICAN CANAL BOAT. 45

the friendly reminder of " No Admittance." The la-
dies consisted of two old, and one not young. One
young man, certainly the greatest lout I met with in
America, deeply buried in a coat of his father's, whose
skirts nearly swept the ground, almost liiding his too
scanty trowsers, and a hat so large that he was obhged
to keep shovmg it up from liis face, played the gallant
to them. These canal boats are very long and narrow,
decked over, and rismg about six feet above the water ;
ours was fitted up for the comfort, or rather discomfort
of the passengers. They are well provided with win-
dows, hold a number of people, and go very slowly;
ours in particular, drawn by two very quiet horses,
seemed to traverse the landscape at a snail's pace.
The canal is crossed by numerous low bridges, often
only a few inches above the deck, and one must be
constantly on the look-out not to be swept overboard,
a disaster I once happened to witness. Sometimes it
is necessary to Ue quite flat, a precaution which also
has its dangers, and on one occasion caused a dreadful
misfortune, when a passenger, by a boat that had very
little cargo, was horribly crushed to death between the
boat and the bridge.

On a sudden we stopped with a tremendous crash.
Everybody jumped up to see what had happened ; our
boat was jammed with another in a narrow part of the
canal, directly under a bridge; and as ours was the
stoutest, she had broken some of the other's ribs. We
remained as immovably fixed as if we had been built
in; all attempts to drag the boat backwards were in
vain, because the horses, knee deep in mud, would not
pull together. At last, in a fit of compassion, and

46 AVILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

trusting to my waterproof boots, I jumped out, seized
the large whip, and giving the liorses a few sharp cuts,
I made them understand that they could if they would.
And they did, but in doing so one of them lashed out
behind, in the thickest of the red mud, so that I was
splashed all over with it, and looked more like a trout
than a human being. I crept back, resolving next time
not to be quite so obliging.

At length the captain came round for the fare ; I
quietly handed out my four dollars, and was not a little
astounded to learn that an agreement made with a stran-
ger at Utica was not bmding on the captain, and that I
must pay my six dollars Kke the rest — a bit of expe-
rience not too dear at two dollars.

So far we had been very comfortable, having had
plenty of room ; but now we took in fifteen more
passengers, all for Buffalo. While daylight lasted all
went on well enough, but in the evening I really
could not divine where all the people would be stowed ;
yet with the live cargo of the Bremen lighter fresh in
my memory, I considered nothing impossible. The
sleeping-places in the canal, boats consist of long four-
cornered frames, wliich in the evening are hung up
along the cabin ; and now that the number of passen-
gers had so much increased, we had to be packed in
layers. The frames are covered with coarse strong
canvas, on which a small mattress was laid ; at least
all the passengers who came from Utica had that ac-
commodation, but now, on account of the number of new
arrivals, that luxury had to be dispensed with. I scram-
bled into my swinging bed, having first examined the
fastenings, leaving the lately-arrived passengers playing
at cards.

MY FAT FELLOW PASSENGER. 47

I awoke in the night with a dreadful feeling of
suffocation ; cold perspiration stood on my forehead,
and I could hardly draw my breath ; there was a weight
like lead on my stomach and chest. I attempted to
cry out — in vain ; I lay almost without consciousness.
At last I became quite awake, and remembered where
I was, and in what circumstances I was placed. The
weight remained immovable ; above me was a noise
like distant thunder: it was my companion of the
upper story, who lay snoring over my head ; and that
the weight which pressed on my chest was caused by
his body no longer remained a doubtful point. I en-
deavored to move the Colossus — impossible. I tried
to push, to cry out — in vain. He lay like a rock on
my chest, and seemed to have no more feeling. As
all my attempts to awaken him were ineffectual, I
bethought me of my breastpin, which luckily I had
not taken out of my cravat the night before; with
great difficulty I succeeded in moving my ai-m and
reaching the pin, which I pressed with a firm hand
into the mass above me. There was a sudden move-
ment, which procured me momentary relief; but the
movement soon subsided, the weight was growing
heavier and more insupportable, and to prevent being
utterly crushed, I was obhged to reapply the pin.
" What 's that ? " " Murder ! " " Help ! " cried a deep
bass voice above me. Feeling myself free, I slipped
like an eel from under the weight, and saw, by the
dim hght reflected from a lamp hanging under the
deck, a sight of no common occurrence. A stout
heavy man, Avho slept in the upper frame without a
mattress, was too much for the w^ell-worn canvas ;

48 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

during his sleep it had given way under the weightiest
part of his form, which descended till it found support
on my chest. The tlirust of my breastpin had caused
him to make an effort to move, which gave me that
opportunity of making my escape I so gladly seized. As
he returned to his former position with greater force
and weight, from the exertions he had made, the support
being gone, the canvas split still wider, and, more than
half asleep, he was sitting on my bed, while his head
and feet remained in his own. He soon began to call
out, " Help ! " " Murder ! " Everybody started up to
see what was the matter, and to laugh heartily at the
extraordinary attitude of this stout gentleman.

In the morning we arrived at Lockport, where the
canal has a fall of sixty feet, with two sets of locks, one
for boats ascending, and the other for those descending :
a noble work for so young a country. Here I left the
boat for the purpose of seeing the Falls of Niagara, to-
wards which I took the nearest road. It was about
two in the afternoon when I arrived at this most
colossal wonder of all the rivers of the earth. I abstain
from any attempt to represent it ; inadequate drawings,
and thousands of descriptions, are to be found in all
parts of the world ; I will not add to the number. It
was so surprisingly grand that I could only gaze in
admiration, and worship God.

My heart still full of this glorious scene, I avoided
the little town of Manchester, lying close to the falls,
and followed the first path that led into the country,
partly for the sake of shooting, and partly to find a
house to sleep in. It became darker and darker, and
the mud seemed to be getting deeper and deeper, Avhen

PENNSYLVANIAN SMITH HAMILTON. 49

I espied a light, which acted as a guiding star through
the darkness. It shone from the quiet friendly dwell-
ing of a Pennsylvanian smith, who had settled in the
state of New York, and who, with benevolent hospi-
tality, fed the hungry, and prepared a warm bed for
the tired. I learned from him, and from other farmers,
that Canada was a fine country, that the forests there
were full of game, but that sportsmen were often
hard beset by bears and wolves.

I took but little time to consider my route, and on
the 1st November, a steamer from Lewiston, a small
town on the Niagara river, carried me over to Toronto,
where I remained the night, and started next morning
by another steamer for Hamilton.

Hamilton is a pretty little town on Lake Ontario in
Canada, and although only a short distance from the
frontier of the United States, a great difference is per-
ceptible as well in general appearance as in trifles.
Most of the settlers in Canada consist of English, Scots,
or Irish, who all keep to their national habits. I twisted
my ankle at Hamilton, which laid me under the dis-
agreeable necessity of remaining there till the morning
of Saturday the 4th, when, recovered and joyful, I again
sallied for the woods, pitying the poor people who
were obliged to live in towns. From Hamilton I pro-
ceeded to Dundas, also on the Ontario, and from thence
took a northerly direction towards Preston, turning
aside, two miles short of the town, to visit New Hope,
where dwelt, as I was told, an old German sportsman.
I arrived safe and sound at New Hope on Sunday
afternoon, and inquired for the abode of the old Ger-
man, which I reached about dusk. He was not at
5

50 WILD SPOKTS IN THE FAR WEST.

sizes, stared with their bright clear eyes at the stranger
and his outlandish costume. The father and mother
were gone to church ; and the eldest daughter, a girl of
about fifteen or sixteen, was teaching the little ones,
some to read and others to spell, from an old well-
thumbed catechism. I sat myself quietly in the comer
to await the return of the parents, and listen to the
tattle of the children.

At length the two heads of the family arrived, to the
great joy of the Httle ones, who ran to meet them.
The man presented so striking a likeness to one of my
friends in Germany, that, in my astonishment, I hardly
answered his friendly " Good evening." After they
had laid aside their church-going clothes, and made
themselves comfortable, we sat ourselves near the stove,
which in Canada often takes the place of the open fire-
place, so hurtful to the eyes. The conversation turned
mostly on farming and shooting. He seemed thor-
oughly to understand the first, and to be passionately
fond of the latter. He was just the man for me.
He spoke of the former abundance of game, which was
fast disappearing through the increasing population,
and he complained of the number of bunglers Avho in-
fested the woods, frightening the game, and crippling
the poor deer. He said he was very successful in
turkey shooting, which is still the same sport as de-
scribed by Cooper in his " Pioneer."

When the night was far advanced, my host showed
me to a sleeping place under the roof, where there was
no want of fresh air — but I slept like a top. He had
told me of a lake, not many miles off, where there

WILD-DUCK SHOOTING. 51

would most likely be immense flocks of wild duck;
so I was off at daylight in search of some. My new
acquaintance had pointed out the direction in which I
should find the lake ; a path was out of the question,
but I thought' that I should be able to find it without
looking at my compass, and stepped out boldly; but
the wood was so thick and there were so many fallen
trees, some lying one over the other, that the sun
stood high, when, taking the compass out of my pocket,
and by its help, making a straight course, I arrived at
the lake. I saw plenty of wild-fowl, but perhaps
frightened by others, they kept in the middle, very few
venturing near the banks. This was out of my reckon-
ing, but as the lake did not seem very large, I resolved
on going round it, I had killed three ducks one after
the other, and in my eagerness had forgotten how the
hours flew by, till I suddenly observed that the sun
was fast approaching the west. I now saw that it was
not possible to pass round the lake before sunset, for
as I came to the clearings, I perceived that as yet I
had not gone half the way. Thick masses of cloud
were gathering in the N. "W., and the wind began to
rustle and moan through the trees. I expected to be
obliged to bivouac here, and slightly appeased my
hunger with a bit of dry bread that I found in my
pocket, for I had not had time to roast one of the
ducks. The weather threatened worse and worse; in
no pleasant humor I was walking slowly along the
shore, when I found a canoe, made of a hollowed trunk,
fastened to the root of a tree. I stepped in without
the least compunction, and paddled to the opposite
shore, distant about two miles and a half, directmg my

52 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

course by a large dead tree. The wind blew hard, and
the waves tossed the rude awkward craft to such a
degree that I was obliged to exert all my strength and
skill to keep her even and to force her ahead. In the
mean time it began to snow, so that I was soon as white
as a miller, and had great difficulty in keeping my eye
fixed on the dead tree, and thus preserving a direct
course. At last I landed, secured the canoe, and
looked out for a path towards some habitation. Before
it became quite dark I had discovered a path, which
being wet, the snow melted on it as it fell, leaving a
dark line along the white ground.

Suddenly I heard a noise as if a whole herd of
buffaloes were breaking tlu-ough the forest, and almost
before I could look round, a dark-colored horse
passed at full speed, uttering a very remarkable
scream of agony. A rider sat on his back, who looked
behind him in the greatest alarm. I had hardly
caught sight of them, as they passed so rapidly, when
another horse, without a rider, rushed snorting after
them. So sudden was it, that I should have taken it
for a dream, if the footmarks in the snow had not
convinced me of the reality. I did not long indulge in
useless meditation on the cause of this nocturnal flight
through the forest in mist and snow, and soon I was
happy enough to find a wheel-track. After about an
hour and a half's walk, I saw a light in the distance,
and in a short time knocked at the door of a small
farm-house. A voice called out in German — " Who 's
there?" It fell like balsam on all my organs, but
more particularly on my stomach. The door was
X)pened by the wife of a German wheelwright, whose

AN INDIAN HUNTER. 53

husband had ridden into a village some miles off, and
whose return was expected every moment. The warm
stove restored my benumbed limbs to fresh life, which
a cup of hot coffee served to heighten. The husband,
a good-natured German, came back in the course of an
hour. He had arrived in the country three years ago,
without a farthing, and now he had a nice little house,
a portion of land, and plenty of work. We went to
bed about ten o'clock. It snowed heavily all night, so,
in the hopes of good sport, I started early, and, as my
host would not accept money, I left him the ducks I
had killed yesterday. Loading my left barrel with
buck-shot, and fixing fresh caps, I hastened out of the
hot room, and inhaled in long draughts the fresh
morning air.

After an hour's march, and shooting nothing more
than a pheasant and a rabbit, I was startled by seeing
a man approach unlike any I had ever seen before. I
soon found that he was a civilized Indian. He was
dressed in a short woollen frock, blue cloth trowsers,
with broad seams, mocassins on his feet, glass earrings
in his ears, and on his head a red woollen shawl, wound
like a turban, under which sparkled his dark fiery eyes,
while his black straight hau' hung over his temples.
He carried the long American rifle, and had altogether
a bold and romantic appearance. His Indian belt,
ornamented with beads, held a tomahawk; and his
powder-horn and shot-belt hung on his right side.
After a short and friendly greeting, we attempted to
converse, — but that was no easy matter, he speaking
broken Englisli, while I was, as yet, only partially
acquainted with that language. On my asking him if
5*

54 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

he had seen any game, he pointed to the ground before
him, showing the fresh trail of a bear in the snow,
which I had not observed, as mj attention had been
dra"\\Ti to him. He made signs for me to go with him,
and I need hardly say that I followed him with a
heart beating with joy and excitement. We may have
gone about five miles, through marsh, moor, and bush,
over hiU and valley, and hundreds of fallen trees, con-
stantly following the trail, when my silent comrade
came to a halt, and pointing to a thick coppice, said, —
" I believe we find him." My excitement was now at
its height ; but the Indian directed me quietly to take
my stand by a tree, while he went round the coppice
to see if the trail was continued on the other side. I
had in the mean time di'opped a ball over the swan-shot,
and eagerly watched every motion of the bush. It
opened suddenly about fifty paces from me, and the
bear, a dark brown fellow, walked out to seek his
safety in flight. In an instant my ball with the
swan-shot, was in his skin, and immediately after that
the barrel of buck-shot. Perhaps surprised by the re-
port of the gun, perhaps smarting from the buck-shot.
Bruin stood for a moment snulfing the air, and then
ran furiously towards me. A ball from the Indian's
rifle stopped his attempt to revenge himself, and
stretched him dead upon the earth. The Indian cut
down a young straight tree with his tomahawk, and
having ripped open and cleaned out the bear, we
bound his paws together, and, as he was not very
large, slung him to the tree, and carried him to Preston,
which was not very far off. We arrived in the even-
ing, and my Indian friend sold the bear for four dollars.

NIGHT IN THE WOODS. 55

He would probably remain in Preston till he liad spent
it all in drink, and then take to the woods again for
more game.

I began to find the climate too cold for me, and
several Germans had told me that here it was much
colder in winter than in our own country. I had no
fancy for that, so turned south towards Lake Ontario,
in order to get on to Buffalo. I shot a pheasant
which gave me a delicate meal, and had hardly left the
fire to recommence my march, when I saw seven wolves
standing at a distance of about seventy yards. Without
a moment's consideration, I dropped lightly down in
the snow to load one barrel with ball, fearing that I
should not do much with No. 4 shot ; but when I got
up again the wolves had taken their leave. As they
had fled towards the S. E., I thought of following, to
try and get one or two of their scalps (government
gives six dollars for a wolf's scalp), but as the sun was
getting low, and looked very red, I gave up the chase.
I had seen several deer in the course of the day, but
could not get a shot at them, and my stomach began
to complain considerably. An American would have
helped himself by shooting squirrels, of which there
were plenty, but I hadn't the heart to eat one of these
happy little creatures. Luckily I shot a hare, and had
now the comfort of being able to appease my hunger.
It was out of the question to think of finding a house
for the night, as I was no longer in a track, but in the
thick of the forest, and so, before it became quite dark,
I collected as much dry wood as I could, cleared away
the snow from under a fallen tree, and lighted a fire
beneath it, which soon blazed up merrily. When I

56 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

had got comfortably warm, I set to work on my bare.
I opened it, cleaned it out with snow as well as I
could, and stuck it on a piece of wood before the fire,
placing a piece of bark under it to catch the dripping,
with which I basted it. I felt very much the want of
salt and bread, but hunger is a good sauce. With the
exception of the two legs, which I reserved for break-
fast, I devoured the whole. "VMien I had finished, I
heaped more wood on the fire, and prepared to pass
my first night in the open air in America. I laid my
game-bag under my head, pulled my cap well over my
ears, and with my feet to the fire was soon asleep. I
slept soundly till the sharp morning air awoke me.
The fire had burned out, and I was quite benumbed
by the frost, and shook so that I could hardly light the
fire again. At last I succeeded, and gradually thawed.
The rising sun found me deep in consideration of my
two legs of hare, which I looked at so long that at
length I could see only the bones. After thus taking care
of myself, I resumed my march southwards with fresh
vigor, and about ten o'clock the crowing of a cock
denoted that I was not very far from a human habita-
tion. I hastened forward, and was soon saluted by the
barking of dogs. The proprietor was in the forest,
cutting Avood for a fence. His wife, a pretty httle
American woman, treated me hospitably with bread
and milk, and assured me that I was not above twenty
miles from the Buffalo road, and that I should find
plenty of farm-houses as I went south. She would
not on any account accept payment for my refresh-
ment, and so, with hearty thanks, and working my
way through a legion of dogs, 1 salHed joyfully forth,

A YANKEE CATTLE DEALER. 57

making the Canadian woods resound with German
songs.

On the following morning I reached the Buffalo
road, lined on both sides with farms, and on which a
sort of stage-coach runs. I was now again in the cul-
tivated part of the country. Wheat is grown in large
quantities, and answers very well, as do oats and
barley ; Indian corn does not attain the degree of per-
fection in which it is found further south. The ears
were small, and most of those I saw had yellow grain.

About thirty miles from the town, I overtook a
cattle dealer from the United States, who was on his
road back. He seemed a good sort of fellow, and I
resolved to travel the thirty miles in his company.
We soon became acquainted. He had two enormously
fat oxen, which he had bought in Canada, and a dread-
fully thin horse, on which he kindly invited me to
take turns to ride, as he would wiUingly walk a little.

A light but penetrating rain was falling, and the
ride would not have been disagreeable, though the road
had become slippery ; only the good man was constantly
offering the horse, while I was riding, to every person
he met, and would have been glad to exchange it for a
couple of cows. When tu'ed, he mounted again, and I
walked. He carried a book in his pocket containing
a deeply affecting tragedy, and as soon as he was firmly
fixed in the saddle, he invariably took it out, and began
to declaim, holding the book in his left hand, and
gesticulating vehemently with his right, in which he
brandished his long cattle whip. Whenever the more
interesting parts of the tragedy occasioned an extra
forcible movement of the right arm, and with it of the

58 TVILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

whip SO formidable to the oxen, an implement on
which they kept a constant watch, they started on one
side or ran back, and only the prosaic " Quiet there !
Gently ! " &c., &c., uttered in a pathetic tone, brought
back the homed audience to their duty.

On the evenmg of the 11th of November, I came a
second time to the Falls of Niagara, and could now admire
their grandeur and majesty from the Canadian side.
From thence a beautiful road runs along the Niagara
river to Lake Eric. The road itself is good and dry ; on
the left the glorious wide river, shaded with trees of the
original dark ibrest, on the right a succession of j^ros-
perous farms, with excellent orchards ; altogether a
most enchanting prospect. The whole distance ap-
peared scarcely more than a few paces. A few miles
from Buffalo I crossed a ferry worked by horses in a
large perpendicular wheel, and was now in the United
States again. What I saw of Canada, showed me that
it is, at least this part of it, a beautiful and fertile
country, with a healthy, though very cold climate, too
cold to suit me. It produces excellent corn, but excejDt
in the thickly inhabited parts, sheep and pigs do not
succeed on account of the numerous wolves. Many
Canadian farmers assured me that the bite of a wolf
was hke that of a venomous reptile to these animals,
and that however slightly they may have been bitten,
they are sure to die. But perhaps these deaths may
have been caused by the bites of rabid wolves.

It was Sunday afternoon when I stepped into the
public room of the "William Tell," in Buffalo, and
seated myself in a corner to rest. The eyes of several
respectable German operatives, who were all in hot

BUFFALO POLITICIANS. 59

political debate, were at first attracted with astonish-
ment towards the armed stranger, but soon following
up their dispute they forgot all listeners, and I think
it might very likely have come to more than words, if
the host, a little fat figure, had not rolled himself in
amongst them, and restored peace with the concihatory
words : " You are all as foohsh as so many stockfish."
In these words, the equality of persons was proclaimed,
and their feelings were pacified. It was, however, no
trifle that formed the subject of their dispute ; for an
honest shoemaker would by no means allow that the
English could send any troops over, on account of the
disturbances in Canada, because the Russian was sitting
across their necks. A cabinet-maker, seated opposite to
him, maintained that Russia was too far off from Eng-
land to be able to make war so quickly ; but the shoe-
maker proved to him so clearly that Russia was close to
England on the north, and that there was only a broad
strip of land between the two Principalities, that the
astonished cabinet-maker was silenced by the overwhelm-
ing amount of sohd learning ; the shoemaker admitted
that the march from Russia to England was difficult, as
the soldiers had sometimes to wade up to their shoulders
in sand. Whence the good man had obtained his idea
of a march through sand, and his geographical knowl-
edge, is more than I can say, but the debate was
amusing enough ; and when the shoemaker appealed to
me for my opinion, I agreed with him of course, but
told him that the Russians intended to lay down bear-
skins on the sand to make the march easier, upon
which he exclaimed, in astonishment, " AYhat desperate
fellows ! "

60

WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR "WEST.

I was up early on the following morning in order to
see the town ; it is a very pretty place, and contains
many Germans ; it must become, and in fact is already,
the central point of all the interior commerce of the
north, for railroads, canals, steamers, and sailing vessels
rival each other in bringing and taking away produce.

CHAPTER III.

OHIO — INDIANA — ILLINOIS — MISSOURI.

Lake Erie — Cleveland — Double-beds — March through the forest
— Canton — Cincinnati — Lawrencebourg — A burning forest —
Deserted farm-house — Wet weather and swollen rivers — A
drunken companion — Versailles — Intrepid German Jews —
Vincennes — Fording a river — The prairies of Illinois — Shoot-
ing deer — Salem — An Illinois settler — Lebanon — Ague —
Passage of the Mississippi — St. Louis — German emigrants —
A week's work in the forest — Lead mines of ilissouri — Courant
river, the boundary of Missouri.

About noon the steamer "North America" left for
Cleveland, in Ohio State, and Avith it my worthy self.
There was such a number of passengers in the steerage,
that it was hardly possible to move, and the state of
affairs was made worse by each of the American ladies *
having a short pipe in her mouth. Yet worse was
coming. Lake Erie, under the influence of a strong
breeze, began to get very rough in its treatment
of the boat ; one pipe after another was extinguished,
and the visages lengthened and whitened very suspi-
ciously. I observed this change with horror, and took

* Two Englishmen travelling together in America, on board a
steamer, one of them was thus accosted : " I am the gentleman that
cleans the shoes, and that man (pointing to the other) says, you are
to pay." — Translatok.

6 (61)

62 WILD SPOETS IN THE FAR WEST.

refuge in one of the uppermost of three rows of sleeping
berths, to be out of range of shot.

It M'as dark when we arrived at Cleveland, and I
stood on the shore in some difficulty, not knowing
exactly where to look for shelter, when a young Ger-
man, who, by the light of a lantern, recognized me by
my costume for a fellow countr^Tnan, asked me if I
would like to pass the night in a German house : on
my quickly agreeing to it, he led me to one, some hun-
dred yards oiF, where I soon went to bed. The beds
in America are all double, that is to say, so wide as
easily to hold three, and indeed I have sometimes made
a fourth. I was shown into this abode of dreams by a
little hump-backed youth, and on my asking if I could
sleep alone there, he replied that perhaps some stranger
might come by the stage-coach. Towards midnight I
was disturbed by a noise, and thought to myself " Oh,
oh, here comes the stranger ; " and as I was not yet
accustomed to this American fashion, I took the trouble
to look up to see what my bedfellow was like, and had
the fehcity to see that a negro as black as pitch was
preparing his ebony members to occupy part of my bed.
I moved to the extreme edge, leaving at least two-
thirds of the space to this son of the night. I was at
this time but little acquainted with American habits,
and if this had happened to me later, the landlord
would not have had a whole bone in his skin ; for it is
the greatest insult to a white man in North America,
and more particularly in the slave states, to place a ne-
gro on equal terms with him.

I was up before day, and, according to custom, went
out to have a look at the town. From Cleveland I

AVET AND WEARY. 63

set off along the canal that goes to Portsmouth, on the
river Ohio, intending to visit my fellow passenger by
the " Constitution," the apothecary Vogel, at the village
of Canton. I shot several wild-fowl and a few hares
as I went along, and found a bed at a New Englander's,
who gave me a hospitable reception. I was much
amused by a little German maid, who had only lately
left her home, and understood very little English, but
as she spoke Low German, they managed to make out
what each party wanted ; they had a great regard for
her, as she Avas very industrious.

It was the 17th of November when I arrived at the
agreeable little town of Canton, situated in the middle
of the forest. Some of the buildings were in very
good taste. My friend was not here, and I learned that
he lived in Cincinnati ; so I decided on seeking him
there, and, having nothing to detain me in Canton, I
set off again the same evening.

Ohio is very extensively cultivated, and the journey
through such a succession of fields was rather mono-
tonous ; there was a farm-house to be seen nearly every
half hour, yet here and there was a pretty bit of forest,
as I found rather too soon. About a hundred miles
from Cincinnati I was overtaken one evening by a
heavy penetrating rain, and was soon wet through
and through. I was anxious to find shelter, and was
travelling a well-frequented road, when all at once it
divided into three; I chose the most beaten, and
pushed on through mud and mire, till I came to a
wood, where all further traces of a road vanished,
leaving me cold and wet in the forest. A fire was out
of the question. I was not inclined to return, as the

64 AVILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

Other roads might also lead to the forest; so I made
my way through the shrubs and bushes, which could
not make me more wet than I was already. I sank
down from fatigue at times, but, after a few moments'
rest, roused myself to fresh efforts. At length, like a
port to a ship in a storm, I saw a light through the
branches. I hastened, as fast as my tired legs would
carry me, in that direction, and soon came to a fence,
and shortly afterwards to a farm-house. The farmer
looked at first rather shyly at the dripping wet traveller,
who requested entrance so late in the night; but the
customary hospitality did not let him hesitate long,
and a warm fire, with a quickly prepared supper, con-
siderably refreshed my stiff and Aveary limbs.

I arrived at Cincinnati, the largest town in Oliio,
on the river of that name, on the 26th of November,
without further adventures, and found my friend the
apothecary quite well ; the hearty pleasure he expressed
on seeing me was ample reward for the trouble I had
taken to find him, and I passed some happy days in
his society. I was much pleased with the fine town of
Cincinnati, the " Queen of the "West," as the Americans
call it. It is the centre of commerce of the West, and
owes its rapid rise and prosperity to its connection by
steamers and railroads with the seaports on the east
coast, by canal with Lake Erie and the St. LaAvrence,
and by the Ohio and Mississippi with New Orleans.
From Cincinnati I made short shooting excursions into
Kentucky, though with little success, obtaining at most
a few hares, and some of the small American partridges,
with now and then a wild duck.

On the Gth of December I bid adieu to the agreeable

OUT IN THE WOODS. G5

town of Cincinnati, and on the same evening arrived at
the border of the State, formed by the httle river
Miami : I slept there, and crossed over into Indiana on
J,he following morning. Two miles further I reached
the little town of Lawrencebourg, on the Ohio, and
inquired the nearest way to St. Louis ; a question
which no one could answer, as they said they never
knew of any one travelling hundreds of miles on foot,
when they could go so easily by the steamers. At
last, with much trouble, I learnt something of the
direction, and set off on the journey. I got a good
dinner at a farmer's in return for a hare I had shot,
and passed the night in a solitary house with some very
worthy people.

The 8th of December was a fine day for a walk, and
the evening was mild and agreeable. I was walking
on at a good pace, when a farmer told me as I passed
his house that I should find a mill about six or seven
miles further on, where I could pass the night; the
sun was already low in the heavens. I was in the
midst of a thick wood when it became dark, and no
mill to be seen ; after some time it was somewhat
lighter, and I had no fear of losing my way ; moreover,
the temperature was very agreeable, and in case of
necessity, I should not have minded camping out, or
sleeping in the forest. At length I saw a light at
some distance through the trees, and the hopes of a
Avarm bed and cup of hot coffee produced a good
effect upon my European system, as yet unweaned
from these luxuries. As I advanced, the lights became
brighter and more numerous, and I did not know what
to think. Was it a town, or an Indian camp before
6*

G6 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

me ? To j)^it an end to the uncertainty I hurried on,
particularly as my right road lay in that direction, and
soon I stood before a burning forest, blazing up glo-
riously in the dark night, making the background
still darker, and giving a ghost-like appearance to the
trees on the right and left. This new scene was too
wonderful and imposing for me to hurry past it ; so I
sat down on one of the fallen scorched trunks to
enjoy the awfully sublime prosj)ect. I may have
remained sitting looking on for about half an hour,
when, about twenty paces from me, a blazing oak fell
with a heavy hollow sound, sending glowing charcoal,
burning branches, and thousands of sparks in all
directions. This Avas rather too near to be pleasant,
so I turned to seek another road through the forest,
which appeared now so much darker than before, on
account of the brilliant light I had just been gazing
on.

There seemed to be no end to the forest, and I began
to think that the mill existed only in the good farmer's
imagination, when I heard a sound of rushing water,
and, later, the lowing of a cow. I turned off in the
direction of the sound, first taking the precaution to
light a fire, that I might retrace my steps in case I lost
my way. About half a mile brought me within sight
of a dwelling ; on coming nearer I discovered a mill-
dam, and several cows standing about the fence saluted
the new comer with a long-drawn friendly low. I
joyfully shook the dust from my feet, and knocked at
the low door : all was as silent as the grave. I knocked
again — nothing moved — no voice called a welcome
" come in." After knocking tlu-ee times, I was accus-

THE FOREST MILL A RACCOON. 67

tomed to open the door ; I pushed this open in rather
ill-humor, and found — a deserted house, with all as
still as death. The stars shone. through a hole in the
roof, the chimney had fallen in. It causes a shudder
to see a place deserted that you expect to find occupied
by an industrious family : I closed the door, and sprang
over the fence, leavmg the building to its mournful sol-
itude.

The fire I had Hghted was nearly burnt out, but I
found it again, and followed hastily my former path.
After about another hour's walk, I heard the bark of
a dog, and confiding with a joyful heart in this sure
sign of an approach to a human habitation, I stepped
out quickly to the long-sought mill. Dogs bayed, the
wheel clattered, a bright light shone through all the
crevices of the loghouse, and everything showed that
I should soon find shelter for the night ; — and in a few
minutes I was comfortably seated in the chimney
corner.

My host was a kindly, good-humored man, had
lived some years in Indiana, and was in good circum-
stances. After a delicious supper, he led me out of
the house, and said, " I will show you a Httle chap,
such as you never saw before in your hfe." He kept
his word. Under an inverted tub was a gray animal,
about the size of a cat, but thicker in the body, with
short legs, head and muzzle like a fox, or rather, more
hke a colossal rat, with ugly finger-Hke claws, and a
tail about a foot long, devoid of hair. These creatures
are constantly on the look-out for fowls, and make
great havoc amongst the farmers' poultry. The Amer-
icans, and sometimes the immigrant Germans, eat the

68 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

flesh and esteem it a delicacy. The miller made no
ceremony with his prisoner, and, after killing it, he cut
off its claws and tail, skinned it, washed it, and pre-
pared it for cooking, teUing me it would serve for a deli-
cate breakfast ; but I could not make up my mind to
eat an animal looking so much hke a rat.

It rained hard all night, giving me a sorry prospect
for my next day's journey ; nevertheless, I rose early,
and took leave of the miller on purpose to escape his
" dehcate breakfast."

The ground was soft and slippery, and it was not
without reason that I had feared the swelling of the
mountain streams ; yet, trusting in my fortune, I went
on in good spirits. About ten o'clock it began to rain
again pretty sharply, and about noon I came to a
rapid, roaring mountain stream, which rushed towards
the Ohio, carrying some large trees along with it.
Here it was necessary to reflect on what was best to
be done, for though I could have swum across, it would
have been extremely disagreeable, as I had no change
of clothing, and the water was considerably colder
than the air. After wandering for some miles up and
down the river in search of means to cross it, night
came on, and I was obhged to camp in the wood.
After kindUng a good flre, I went to sleep, lulled by
the sound of the water, but waking up now and then,
thinking I might receive a visit from some -w^ld
beast.

On the following morning I was early on my legs,
and examined the river. Like all these mountain
streams, it had risen rapidly, and fallen as quickly,
having considerably abated in the course of the night.

A PLEASANT TRAVELLING COMPANION. 69

I had already resolved on trying the passage, when I
saw two horsemen coming down the hill towards me.
My difficulties were now at an end ; one of them took
me up behind, and JL was landed all dry on the other
side.

I kept on along the somewhat inclined road, some-
times slipping, sometimes sinking deep in mud, abusing
all American roads and American weather, when, not
very far from the little town of Versailles, I saw a
man with a rifle coming down the hill towards me.
He did not seem to be keeping a very steady course,
and when we came nearer, I saw clearly that I had
not made a great mistake in supposing him to be very
drunk. When he came up to me, he winked with his
glassy eyes, and shook me heartily by the hand : so far
so good : but when he caught sight of a bottle I had
slung by my side, he made a sudden grasp at it ; how-
ever, I was too quick for him, and, like a bear defend-
ing her cubs, I wrenched it out of his hand, and then,
with the most imperturbable look in the world, I said
" That is not for you," and placed it in my pocket. He
yielded to his fate ; but, seeing my double-barrelled gun,
he wanted to examine it closer, and to have a shot
with it. By this time I had had enough of it, and
would not trust him, so I turned on my heel and con-
tinued my journey. He called out " Stop ! " I took
no notice ; again he called out, " Stop ! " and I dis- *
tinctly heard him cock his rifle. I turned instantly,
taking my gun from my shoulder, but too late ;
his ball went whistling just over my head, and the
echo repeated the sharp crack of his rifle. I now lost
all patience, and snatching the whalebone ramrod out

70 WILD SrOKTS IX THE FAR AYEST.

of my gun, I ran after him, caught him by the collar,
pulled liim down, and belabored him with the pliant
ramrod, till only a few inches of it were left, he roaring
" Mur — der ! " " Mur — der 1 " all the Avhile with might
and main. I must acknowledge that I felt some satis-
faction as I left him lying smarting in the mud.

Towards evening I passed through Versailles, where
I procured a new ramrod. What a piece of irony to
call such a place Versailles ! but it is a custom of the
Americans to give high-sounding names to their little
settlements. Akeady in the State of New York, I
had passed through Syracuse, Babylon, Rome, Venice,
Alexandi'ia, London, and Paris — villages of seven or
eight houses.

I arrived about the 11th December at Friedmann's
farm. The proprietor was a German m good circum-
stances in Indiana : his property, though not large, was
very productive, and his cattle Avere very fine. He
was the only German settler whom I fell in with in my
march through Indiana, although there are several in
that state. The sound of my mother tongue fell
doubly sweet on my ear after so long a privation. I
remained to dinner, and then set off in good spirits, on
a road which improved as I advanced, towards Vin-
cennes on the Wabash.

Towards evening on the 12th, I came to a large,
clean-looking house, and when I went in to ask if I
could have a bed, I found two German Jews sitting
comfortably by the fire, who looked at me with aston-
islmaent, and, as it seemed to me, w^ith displeasure.
The host was an elderly man, whose grandfather and
gi-andmother had emigrated from Germany; he spoke

MY ISRAELITE FELLOW-LODGERS. 71

very good German, and was uncommonly" friendly, and
we chatted away together the whole evening. The two
Israelites had in the mean time been whispering a great
deal together ; at length one of them brought his chair
nearer to mine, and began asking several questions,
which I readily answered ; amongst others, if I should
start early in the morning, and which way I intended
to go ? why I carried a gun and hunting knife ? &c. It
struck me that they were not very courageous, and I
resolved to have a joke with them : I first asked if
they carried on a good business ? what sort of wares they
had in their two large packs ; if they had any articles
of gold ? if they meant to leave early ? which road they
intended to take ? if they would have far to go through
the forest, before they came to another farm? The
Jew anxiously parried all these questions, while his
companion sat by without speaking a word ; but when
I asked if the}- had made much money, they both called
out in a scream, " We have got no money at all ; " so
that I was obliged to bite my lip to prevent a burst of
laughter.

I was disturbed several times in the night by the
squabbling of the Israelites about the best place in
their common bed. On waking up at early dawn I
saw that the birds were flown. When I descende'd to
my host, the two large packs and the two Jews had
disappeared ; on my inquiring after them, he told me
that they had started before dayhght with as little noise
as possible. I laughed heartily, and told him the whole
history, which tickled him amazingly.

The road from this house was at first pretty good,
but it rained hard. When I came to the flat country

72 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

in the neighborhood of Yineennes it was full of pools,
and on arriving on the prairie, about a mile from that
town, the whole space between it and me was one
sheet of water. Night coming on, it would have been
impossible for me to find my way but for occasional
lights in the town, towards which I directed my steps,
sometimes over my knees in water, and arrived about
seven o'clock in Vincennes, which had not much to
boast of as to dryness. The night was dark as pitch,
as I groped my way along the unlighted streets in
search of quarters. A pair of lonely oxen standing in
the street looked at me pathetically, and lowed as
I passed close by them. A short distance from them
I found the house I w^anted: it belonged to a Penn-
sylvanian German, who kept a tavern. I was soon in
front of a warm refreshing fire, which, in my present
condition, was what I stood most in need of As soon
as I was well warmed, I took a survey of the neigh-
borhood. Around me was a set of regular conven-
tional faces, with American indifference stamped on
the countenances of all the company, who, having
finished their meal, were sitting round the fire, rocking
in their chairs, and picking their teeth. But amongst
them I perceived fixed upon me the glances of a pair
of real German looking eyes. I addressed theii* owner,
and found that I had not been mistaken; he was a
German smith and mason, and a very well educated
man for his station. We sat talking together by the
fire till late in the night. In the heat of conversation,
he repeated some of his own poetry, Avhich I listened
to patiently, in return for his kind attempts to amuse
me. He had been a long time in America, and had

FORDING THE WABASH. 73

suffered much, without gaining much experience, being
one of those good-natured souls, who are unwilHng to
take advantage of others, though often imposed upon
themselves.

It rained in torrents during the night, but cleared
up towards morning, and began to freeze. On going
down to the river I met some horsemen, who had
returned from the other side, and declared that it was
not possible to proceed; for not only was the water
very deep, but the ice on the surface was so thick, that
it would have cut the horses in breaking through it.
For a moment I was undecided: I could not stay in
Vincennes, because my small supply of money would
not admit of great outlay, and I had yet a considerable
distance to travel. I. went down to the ferry, but the
ferrymen also strongly advised me to remain at Vin-
cennes, as the road was quite impassable : however I
was obstinate, and crossed the ferry.

The ground was dry close to the river, but I was
stopped by the water further on. I persisted till noon,
trying to find a passage, and upon a tolerably empty
stomach, for I had eaten little more for the last twenty-
four hours than a bit of bread and cheese. Yet I
made no progi'ess, so I resolved to dash at it, and wade
through the water to some houses about two miles off,
where the ferrymen had told me I should find dry
ground. At first it was only up to my knees, and my
water-proof boots kept me dry ; but it soon became
deeper and deeper. I was obliged to fasten my game-
bag on my shoulder, and wade along, sometimes up to
the waist, and sometimes up to the chest in the cold
element, all the while having to break the ice in front
7

74: WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

of me "with the butt of my gun. It took four hours
to do the two miles, and. only the conviction that I
must either break through the ice or drown, gave me
force to cany out mj resolution. At length I reached
a fence, and stepped on dry ground. I endeavored to
climb over in vain ; my lower garments and limbs
were frozen too hard. I was obliged to pull down a
part of it to make a passage, and it was not till I had
been more than an hour by the fire that I was thawed
enough to be able to move freely.

The continuation of the road was dry, with one short
exception ; and the next house that I came to was
quite a harbor of refuge for this night, as I w^as much
in need of rest and refreshment.

I now for the first time saw the wide prairies w^hich
extend through Illinois, and present a dismal prospect
in this cold season. The long weaving yellow grass
gives a melancholy tint to the j^icture ; the wide spread
straw-colored surface, fringed by a forest in the dis-
tant horizon, depresses the spirits. The frost had set
in again, so that at least I could follow my route with
dry feet, and at a good pace. The first head of large
game that I fell in wdth was a buck, making long
jumps through the high grass, and putting up large
flocks of prairie fowl, which flew to some distance
before they settled. In the house where I passed the
night, I gave my gun a thorough cleaning, and put it
in good condition. On the following morning, about
eight o'clock, I came to the Fox river, w here I found
two houses. To my astonishment, this also was a
town, and called Waterton. A very pretty American
woman, who kept a sort of tavern, set bread and milk

A WET ROAD BUCK-SHOOTING. 75

with wild honey before me. She tried hard to per-
suade me to settle here, and, if possible, induce other
Germans to do so ; but my water excursion was still
too fresh in my memory for me to take a fancy to the
place, although it appeared to be a land of milk and
honey, for enormous herds of cattle were pasturing in
the prairies, and wild honey was very abundant.

I was so refreshed by my meal, that I went on my
way with the springing step of a sedan-chairman. I
had indulged in the agreeable idea of a dry road, but
found myself wofully deceived, for as the httle Wabash
had overflowed its banks, I had about two miles to
wade through water. The road lay along rather high
ground, and was clear of ice, but there was plenty
of it between the trees on the lower levels. As I
approached the end of the watery path, and could see
dry land in front of me, I heard something rustling
through the water, and crashing the ice: I looked
round" and beheld 'five deer coming towards me with
long bounds. I stood quite still, awaiting their ap-
proach with a beating heart; a. noble buck and four
does were passing about fifty paces from me. I amied
at the leader; he made a spring into the air, and fell
dead. I had some trouble to bring my buck to land ;
for although the American deer are smaller than the
German red deer, yet the one I had shot weighed at
least 140 pounds. I cut him up, skinned him, lopped
a branch from a tree, made a bag of the skin with the
hair outwards, put the two legs and back into it, then
hanging the rest on a tree for any new comer, I
trud^cred away with my burden for a couple of miles to
the village of MaysviUe. Here I sold my prize, and

76 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

passed the night, starting on the following morning
across a twelve-mile prairie.

A cutting north-wester blew from the great lakes,
so that my quickest pace hardly sufficed to keep me
warm. After passing through a small wood, and sur-
mounting a hill, I came to another little town, called
Salem. On the 21st of December I had another
prairie, twenty-two miles wide, before me : though
still very cold, it was good walking over the hard
frozen ground. In the evening I arrived at a farm-
house, where I passed the night. Just as I came to
the house, the farmer was leading his horse by the
bridle into the sitting-room, Avhich I should have taken
for the stable, had I not seen smoke issuing from the
chimney. Full of curiosity, I followed my host into
his httle dwelling, and here the riddle was explained.
He had been hauhng wood, and he had fastened his
horse to a log about eight feet long, to draw it into
the house ; then he rolled it to tlie fire-place, which
took up nearly one whole side of the little block-house,
and as he could not conveniently turn the horse on
account of tables, chairs, ancl beds, he had made an
opening on the side opposite the door, in order to lead
him out again. I had shot several prairie birds in
the course of the day, and they afforded us a delicate
supper. They are very numerous in these wide plains,
and I have seen flocks of from 600 to 700 of them.
They are about the size of our domestic fowls, but with
a longer neck, and have a tail like a partridge ; their
color is an ashy gray. I shot only one gray prairie
wolf; they are much smaller than the black wolves,
and very shy.

ILLINOIS AND ITS CLIMATE. 77

On the 23rd of December I arrived at Lebanon, a little
hamlet on a hill about tAventy miles from St. Louis. My
thoughts turned involuntarily to the gigantic cedars ; the
highest tree on this mountain of Lebanon was the tavern
sign-post. Next day I had a march of thirty-two miles :
as the usually soft ground was now frozen hard, the
route was very rough, and hurt my feet ; yet I pushed on,
and in the afternoon arrived in the valley of the Mis-
sissippi, or, as they call it opposite St. Louis, the
" American bottom ; " it is considered the most productive
land in the United States. The vegetable mould must
be from fifty to sixty feet deep ; but it is low, and in
consequence wet, and therefore unhealthy.

During my progress through Illinois I heard con-
stant complaints of ague, particularly from the Ger-
mans ; it is very prevalent all the summor, and even in
winter they are not always free from it. The pale
countenances of all, especially of the children, bore too
strong evidence that the complaint was well founded.

At length, after sunset, I arrived on the eastern bank of
the Mississippi, and heard to my great vexation that the
river was so full of ice, that it was utterly impossible to
get across. At any rate it was not to be thought of
for this evening, so that I was obliged to pass another
night in Illinois. Very tired with my long journey, I
went early to bed. I was awakened in the night by a
fresh arrival, who threw himself right upon me. I
moved a little to one side, while he took up the middle
of the bed ; I should have had room enough if the
stranger had not been very restless. Now as I did not
like the idea of being disturbed all the rest of the night,
it was necessary to obtain peace in some way or other ;
7 *

/8 AVILD SPORTS IX THE FAR AVEST.

SO, drawing myself up like a hcclgeliog, and planting
my shoulder against his side, and my feet against the
wall, before he could imagine what I was about, I sent
him with a sudden jerk into the middle of the room,
and then coolly told him the conditions on which I
would let him come into bed again. As the night was
too cold to admit of his sleeping on the floor, he agreed
to all I required, and remained quiet for the rest of the
night.

I was up early the next morning, and heard that a
boat was about to try the passage. "We started at nine
o'clock, and were six in the boat — two at each oar, one
in the bows to shove away the ice, and one half dead
from fear. With indescribable trouble we succeeded
in reaching the middle of the stream, Avhere the ice had
become fixed round a small island. If we had attempted
to row round it we should have been carried down too
far below the town, so we had to get out, and drag the
boat over the rough blocks of ice, and launch her again
on the other side ; often we were jammed between im-
mense masses, so that I thought every moment the
boat must be crushed. About noon we gained the
opposite shore, and landed immediately below St. Louis.
The difference of time between Germany and St. Louis
is about seven hours, so that while families at home
were enjoying their Christmas festivities around the
brilliantly lighted trees, I was toiling with difficulty
through the waves and large masses of floating ice of
the Mississippi. The church bells were ringing, as, on
a bright clear day, I entered this city of a foreign land.
1 expected to find letters and money from Ncav York,
but to my no small astonishment I was disappointed.

I SET OFF FOR NEW ORLEANS. 79

There was now no chance of any until I arrived at
New Orleans; the question was, how was I to o-et
there ? I had not money enough to i3ay my passage by
a steamer, and none of them would take me as one of
the crew ; so I resolved to trust to my legs again. The
sale of some game had brought a few dollars, with
which I paid my expenses here, and on the 31st
December I set off again alone, with not very cheering
prospects for the commencement of the new year. At
night I lighted a fire, and laid myself under a tree, for
I was not in a humor to seek society; it was j^ast
midnight before I fell asleep. Next morning's sun
brought fresh courage and fresh confidence. In going
southwards from St. Louis, the traveller has no little
trouble to find the right direction among the cross
roads that traverse the country, and I made so many
mistakes that it took nearly five days to go fifty miles,
yet without having to pass another night in the forest,
as I found a farm-house every evening, whose owners
gave me an hospitable reception.

A great many Germans inhabit this part of the
country, particularly Suabians, living by agriculture,
and, when not too far from the town, by carrying and
selling wood, as there is none in the immediate nei^-h-

o

borhood of St. Louis, except some small stunted oaks.

My funds by this time had shrunk down to a single
American dollar, whose superscription, " E pluribus
unum," appeared a bitter sarcasm on my present cir-
cumstances. The third day of my wanderings in
Missouri broke dull and moist through the mist; it
began to rain, and the roads became slippery. About
noon I arrived at another cross road, and Avas deliberat-

80 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

ing which to take, when I heard a cock crow not very
far off. The sound was music to my ears at such a
moment. I took the path leading towards it, and soon
came to the fence of a httle corn-field ; upon the fence
sat a curious figure, swinging himself to and fro, and
singing in a low melodious voice some song unknown
to me. As he heard my steps he sprang from the
fence, and a poor pale sickly lad stood before me. He
offered me his right hand with a smile, and Avith his
left f)ushed away the long lank w^et hair from his eyes ;
he led me quietly to the door and disappeared. His
father, an old farmer, told me that I should find
some German settlements about eight or nine miles
further on, and though it was still raining, I resolved
on continuing my journey, and reached the block-houses
of my countrjTnen before dark.

The weather continuing bad, and I having but little
money, I resolved to accept work if I could find it.
Three brothers living here, who seemed good sort of
people, were ready to employ me. We were to agree
about the wages after a week's trial. The next day
saw me sally forth early in the morning, armed with a
heavy hoe, to the unaccustomed work of rooting up
bushes. It made the muscles and sinews of my arms
ache and swell, so it happened very opportunely for
me that the following day was the festival of the Three
Kings, and as the honest Germans do no work on that
day, I was very much obliged to the Tliree Kings for
their appearance. But though they would not work
for themselves, we all went, according to the custom
here, to help build a house for a neighbor, who had
lately settled, and for which the logs were already cut
and collected.

LEAD MINES IN MISSOURI. 81

The week passed by without further incident. I
worked very hard, and it seemed all the harder as it
was the first time that I had to work incessantly. As
the brothers offered me no more than eight dollars a
month, I thought that I should find better pay in Lit-
tle Rock, so took the two dollars that I had earned, bade
them all a hearty farewell, and w^ent on my way in
good spirits.

Next morning I came to the most important lead
mines of Missouri, not far from Farmington, a pretty
little town. The lead was laid in great heaps on both
sides of the road, and as it looked very like silver, it
was capable of making a strong impression on any one
who possessed a slightly excitable imagination. As my
bullets were getting scarce, I took a couple of pounds
from one of the heaps, in order to cast a few in the
next house that I stopped at. All these mines are
private property, and the workmen carry on their
excavations when they please, wherever they expect
to find ore, and are paid according to the quantity
they procure ; if they find none, they receive nothing,
and many poor fellows have worked for weeks in vain.
Their labors are carried on in the simplest manner.
A workman, or generally two together, come and offer
themselves; a certain space is given, and while one
digs, the other clears out the shaft; sometimes they
find a vein of pure lead, in which case they are very
well paid. The whole place is so full of holes, that it is
very dangerous to go about at night. The proprietors
have erected smelting furnaces on the ground between
the shafts, where the ore is cast mto pigs, and then it is
forwarded to the Mississippi.

82 WILD SPOUTS IN THE FAR WEST.

I passed the following night in the house of an
American family. The owner had a herd of remark-
ably fine cattle, as well as a fine breed of horses. Soon
after I was seated in the warm chimney corner, I
heard the gallop of a horse. It stopped at the house,
the door opened, and in stepped a very pretty girl,
with her httle riding-whip in her hand, and her color
heightened by the sharp ride ; she was received by all
with a warm welcome, and seemed to be the betrothed
of one of the young men, near whom she sat, and be-
gan to joke.

Passing through Frederickstown, I reached Currant
river, the boundary of Missouri, on the 22nd of Janu-
ary ; the water was so clear, that although it was about
fifteen feet deep where I passed, the smallest objects
could be distinctly seen at the bottom.

CHAPTER IV.

ARKANSAS, AND "DOWN RIVER " TO NEW ORLEANS.

Wild turkeys — Spring river — Traces of earlier inhabitants of North
America — An eagle — Quack-doctors in Arkansas — My unsuc-
cessful hunting-dog — Little Red river — German and Polish
settlers — Hilger and Turoski — Encampment of Indians — Their
love for ardent spirits — Little Rock — Engagement as stoker on
board the " Fox " — Unhealthiness of the stoker's avocations —
Quarrel with the captain, and conclusion of the engagement —
Night in the woods — A panther — Bear hunt — Great Red river —
Slave plantations — Cruelty of the overseers towards the negroes
— Large herd of deer — Capture of a panther — Dangerous en-
counter with a bear — Excursion with an Indian tribe — Their
mode of life — Canoe travelling — The Mississippi — New Or-
leans — Its appearance, and unhealthy situation.

I WAS now in Arkansas. Game seemed to abound.
Flocks of wild turkeys filled the forests as thick as
partridges in Germany, and deer were equally plenti-
ful ; in one day I saw several herds of ten or twelve
head each. On the 23rd I came to Spring river, so
named from the crystalUne clearness of its waters. I
had intended to continue my journey on the following
morning, biit my talkative hostess, among other
things, spoke of her husband, an old Pennsylvanian,
who understood German, and who could give a great
deal of information about Indian burial-places. The
chance of hearing any thing about the natives was a
strong magnet to my curiosity, so I decided to await

(83)

84 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

his arrival, and, as I did not wish to diminish un-
necessarily my small stock of money, I assisted to
gather in the Indian corn, so as to earn my food. As
my host arrived in the evening, I had not long to
wait. He informed me that there were a number of
sepulchral monuments on the banks of the Spring
river, or in its neighborhood, and spoke of gigantic
bones and skeletons wliich had been found there.
When in Ilhnois, I had heard of such remains of a
colossal race of men, and among others of a human
lower jaw, whose owner must have been about nine
feet high. He also said that he had found urns and
weajDons in the graves ; but he had none to show me,
for these people have no regard for any thing that does
not offer some immediate prospect of gain.

On the banks of the neighboring White river, they
had found bricks some feet under the surface in several
places, laid as if they had formed a street or road, and
my host, as well as several others, maintained that
there must have been a town there.

There is a strong probability that, before the modern
race of Indians, a stronger and more civilized people
must have inhabited North America, as several ancient
and magnificent buildings in Mexico also tend to
prove. If my host had had time to show me any of the
mounds, I would have devoted a day or two to their
examination, but he was obliged to take another
journey on the following day, and I could not well
await his return. Perhaps some one else may find
time to make excavations.

On the following morning I set off again on my
travels, and turned a httle out of my way to climb a

THE EAGLE AN OLD SETTLER. 85

rocky height, when an eagle suddenly rose before me.
I fired. For a minute or two he floated motionless in
the air, then, flapping his wings, he mounted higher
and higher till I could hardly distinguish him. I con-
cluded that I must have missed him, and was re-
loading, when he turned in the air, and fell dead to the
ground. He was a large bird, measuring seven feet
from wing to wing. I was pleased with my shot, as it
w^as the first eagle I had killed. He was of a dark-
brown color, with white head and tail. In imitation
of the Indians, I ornamented my cap with one of his
feathers.

On the evening of the 27th of January, as I was
occupied in breaking up a deer that I had shot, a lad
of about thirteen or fourteen, with a fowling-piece on
his shoulder, came to help me, and showed that he
was by no means an unskilled hand. We packed the
two legs and the back in the skin, and bore it between
us to the abode of the j^outh, only a few miles distant,
where I decided on passing the night. I have met, in
all parts of America, with a number of very worthy,
amiable people, as also with some very bad characters :
this is to be expected in a country with such a mingled
population ; but here, in this solitude, I found a
family not to be surpassed in worth and amiable quali-
ties in any part of the world. An old man, with
trembling hands, sat by the fire, and though many
winters had bleached his locks, his rosy cheeks showed
that he was still strong and hearty. Opposite sat a
noble-looking matron, considerably younger than her
husband, but still of great age. By her side was a
young and pretty woman of the neighborhood, whose
8

86 AVILD SFORTS IN THE FAR "WEST.

husband had taken a journey to the north on business.
Three stout, blooming youths came in one after the
other from shooting, bringing four wild turkeys.

I was already far enough advanced in English to be
able to take part in the conversation, the educated
American being very indulgent to foreigners in this
respect. We sat talking together till about ten
o'clock. The young wife had just received a letter
from her husband, which she read through and
through ten times over. She had been very unfor-
tunate in Arkansas. The doctors had killed three of
her children, and she herself was suffering from in-
flamed eyes through their ignorance. The fact is, that
there is no sufficient authority to control their practice
in these new States, and every quack who chooses may
call himself doctor. They prescribe calomel for every
disorder, and decayed teeth, inflamed eyes, spongy
gums, and shattered health are the universal conse-
quences.

My next night was passed at a Kentucky-man's, who
had settled here. He had about a dozen dogs in his
house, and he willingly made one over to me, which,
according to his account, Avas a capital dog for hunting
wild turkeys, running them to a tree, so that they
could be more easily shot.

Lounging along the road, I saw, at a good distance
in front of me, a buck quietly feeding right in the path,
and, rather distrusting the good education of my dog,
I fastened him to a tree with my pocket-handkerchief
and the string of my powder-horn. The buck con-
tinued feeding unsuspiciously, till I came within about
eighty-five paces from him, when, as I had the wind at

MY UNSUCCESSFUL HUNTING DOG. 87

my back, he scented my approach, and bounded over a
fallen tree to gain the thicket ; my buck shot flew after
him, but I must have fired low, for at about 150 paces
he began to limp with his hind leg. By this time my
dog must have thought that he had played the mere
spectator long enough, and having bitten through the
powder-horn string, he bounded after the deer with my
handkerchief about his neck, and neither deer, dog, nor
handkerchief have I ever seen since.

About sunset I arrived at a house where I purposed
to pass the night, and had placed my hand on the fence
to jump over, when I saw the mistress of the house
sitting before the door, occupied with her children's
heads in a way that suppressed all inclination to speak
on my part. I turned away, resolving rather to pass
the night in the forest than with such a family ; yet
this alternative was unnecessary, for before dark I
reached the dwelling of a man who had fought under
Washington in the war of independence ; of course he
was very old, but he moved about with considerable
vigor.

On the following evening I came to the Little Red
river. It Avas growing dark, but a man was still at
work on the other side. I called to him, asking where
I could pass. He answered : " You see that house
there ? " By his accent I kne\v that he was a German,
and asked again, in good Saxon : " What house ? " He
replied again, in a mixture of German and English, and
in a tone of vexation at having forgotten his pure
mother tongue : " Go a little way down the river, and
you will find a canoe." We were already good friends,
although divided by the river. I found the canoe,

88 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

paddled over, and went to the nearest house, before
which a number of people were standing, and amongst
them the owner. Von G., formerly an officer in the
army, now an industrious farmer, and zealous sports-
man. He possessed two slaves, and was well contented
with his new condition. He kindly offered me a bed
in his house. In the evening the German came in,
whose acquaintance I had made on the banks of the
river. He was a very worthy, though rather an eccen-
tric man. He must have been equally pleased with
me, for he insisted that I must not think of going away
so soon, but must come and pass some days with him in
order to see the country. Having nothing to hurry me,
I willingly accepted his kind invitation, and went on
the following day to his house, where he made me quite
at home. He had a nice little wife, and five strong
healthy children.

In the afternoon it began to rain. Travelling was
not to be thought of; even had I wished it, these kind
people would not have let me go. We chatted away
till deep in the night, and it did me a world of good to
be able to converse again to my heart's content in my
mother tongue. My host was a Rhenish Bavarian,
named Hilger, a builder by trade, and by no means un-
educated.

On the next day we had a visit from a neighbor,
a man of about thirty-five, with a short green shooting
jacket, and a German rifle ; but his accent betrayed
him to be no German. HUger addressed him by the
name of Turoski. He was a Polish officer, who sought
and found in America security against the political
persecutions that he would have been exposed to in

THE POLISH KEFUCiEE's HAUITATIOX. 89

Europe. He was unmarried, and a little ten-year-old
daughter of Hilger's minded his house. This child
was often alone for days and nights together in
Turoski's log-house, miles away from other habitations;
yet she cared nothing whether it was the storm or the
wolves that howled round the hut.

After a short conversation, Turoski proposed that I
should come and stay with him. I passed some very
agreeable days with these estimable men, sometimes
with one, sometimes with the other. To give my
reader an idea of the bachelor-life of an American
backwoodsman, I will describe one of the nights that
I passed at Turoski's. Hilger's daughter had gone
home to visit her parents, who lived tlu^ee miles off,
and we two were alone. The Pole's dwelling was
notliing but a simple rough log-house, without any
window, and all the chinks between the logs were left
open, probably to admit fresh air. Two beds, a table,
a couple of chairs, one of them with arms, some iron
saucepans, three plates, two tin pots, one saucer,
several knives, and a coffee-mill, formed the whole of
his furniture and kitchen utensils. A smaller building
near the house contained the store of meat for the
winter. There, was a field of four or five acres close
to the house, and another about a quarter of a mile off
on the river. He had some good horses, a great many
pigs, quantities of fowls, and several milch cows.

Being deeply interested in our conversation, we
forgot to prepare any supper, and it was not till tlie
cold made itself felt that we went to bed. It may
have been about half-past twelve, when Turoski woke
up, and swore by all the saints, that he could lie no
8*

90 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

longer in bed for ravenous hunger, and that lie must
have something to eat, even if it were a piece of raw
meat. I laughed, and told him to draw his hunger-
belt tighter, but he jumped up and gave me no more
rest. We made up the fire, which was nearly burnt
out, and then held a council as to what we should
cook. We had shot nothing, the bread was all gone,
and we had eaten our last bit of pork for dinner.
What was to be done? Turoski decided the point.
The Indian corn of last harvest was in a small building
in a field by the river ; I was to go and fetch an arm-
ful, while he would prepare something in the mean
time. The night was dark as pitch ; I was often
obliged to feel with my feet for the path like a blind
man, that I might not lose myself in the forest.
When, in the course of half an hour, I returned with
the maize, Turoski had killed one of the fowls that
were roosting on a low tree, plunged it in hot Avater,
and while he cleaned it I fried the corn; then, while
the fowl was being grilled, I ground the corn in the
coffee-mill, which by no means reduced it to the con-
sistence of flour. I moistened the grist with water,
added a little salt, made a cake of it about three-
quarters of an inch thick, and set it in a saucepan cover
to bake. So far so good ; but I wanted a couple of
eggs. There was a kind of shed attached to the house,
in which leaves of Indian corn, jilucked green, and
then dried, were kept as fodder, and here the hens
came to lay their eggs. Turoski crept in, and feeling
about, soon came to a nest with five, of which he
brought away only two, having broken the others in
his hurry. Coffee was then made, and we had a very

AN UNNECESSARY CIRCUIT INDIAN TRIBE. 91

good supper, or rather breakfast, for it was now past
two o'clock. But we were not yet to repose in safety ;
the monster log of hickory, that we had laid on the
hearth, flared up and set fire to the chimney : Turoski
mounted on the roof, while I handed him some buckets
of water, and the fire was soon extinguished. At last
we got to sleep, and remained so till the sun was high
in the heavens.

My unquiet spirit drove me forth again on the
morning of the 7th of February. I took a warm fare-
well of these kind people, and went in a southwest
direction through the forest, hoping soon to reach ihe
high road. The sun disappeared behind dark clouds,
but thinking I was sure of my way, I walked quickly
on. Who could paint my astonishment at finding my-
self, after two hours' walking, in front of the very house
I had started from ! This was vexatious, but I slipped
off again into the forest without being perceived, took
out my compass, and made a straight course.

In the evening I shot a deer, but was obliged to
leave the greater portion of it, as it was too heavy to
carry. Long after sunset on the 9th I arnved on the
Arkansas river ; the lights of Little Rock shone from
the opposite bank, but a strange fantastic scene pre-
sented itself on this side of the river, on which I stared
with astonishment. An Lidian tribe had pitched their
tents close to the banks of the river. A number of
large crackling fires, formed of whole trunks of dry
fallen trees, which lay about in abundance, offering
good shelter against the wind; over the fires were
kettles with large pieces of venison, bear, squirrels,
raccoons, opossums, wild-cats, and whatever else the

92 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

fortune of the chase had given them. Here young men
were occupied securing the horses to some of the fallen
trees, and supplying them with fodder ; there lay others,
overcome by the firewater, singing their national songs
with a mournful and heavy tongue. I stood for a long
time watching the animated scene.

A tall powerful Indian, decked out with glass beads
and silver ornaments, came staggering towards me, with
an empty bottle in his left hand and a handsome rifle in
his right, and, holding them both towards me, gave me
to understand that he would give me the rifle if I
would fill his bottle. The dealers in spirituous liquors
are subject to a heavy fine if they sell any to soldiers,
Indians, or negroes. The poor Indians have fallen so
low, and become so degraded by the base speculations
of the pale faces, that they will give all they most
value, to procure the body and soul-destroying spirits.
Though I had but little money left, only twelve cents,
I declined the exchange ; he turned sorrowfully away,
probably to offer the advantageous bargain to some one
else, in which case I thought it best to indulge the
poor savage, and save him his handsome rifle ; I took
the bottle out of his hand, filled it, and gave it back to
him. On my refusing to accept his rifle, he laid hold
of me, and dragged me almost forcibly to his fire,
obliged me to drink with him, to smoke out of his pipe,
and eat a large slice of venison, while his wife and
three children sat in the tent staring with surprise at
the stranger. He then stood up, and in his harmonious
language related a long history to me and to some
sons of the forest who had assembled round us, and of
which I did not understand a word. At last as the

LITTLE ROCK IN ARKANSAS. 93

noise became annoying, I stole away quietly to seek a
berth for the night.

When I came again to the ferry on the following
morning, the encampment was broken up, and the
Indians had embarked on board a steamer, which was
to carry them further west. I crossed by the ferry,
and had now no longer any cause to be anxious about
spending too much money, having paid away my last
twelve cents. Rarely has a traveller entered a strange
town with so light a purse. My situation in such a
place was not at all enviable. The soles of my boots
had disappeared, and then the feet of my stockings, so
that latterly I had gone barefoot on the frozen ground.
Yet my self-confidence and courage did not fail me.
My first object was to find a house where I could pass
the night, my second to get my boots repaired : I found
board and lodging at a German wheelwright's, named
Spranger, for three dollars a week, and although with
all my searching I could not find three cents in my
pockets, I agreed to the bargain, giving my gun in
pawn ; then taking my hunting-knife I hastened to a
shoemaker's, who asked two and a half dollars to re-sole
my boots, and accepted my knife as a pledge, lending
me a pair of shoes to wear till the boots should be
finished. When this was all arranged, I looked about
for work, and took many a walk in vain.

On the second day, having nothing else to do, I
went with Spranger to Yon' Seckendorf's farm to saw
down some trees that S. required for his business. In
Little Rock many had referred me to a Mr. Fisher, who
was well known among the Germans, and who at all
events would give me w^ork. He had just finished a

94 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

large frame house, and wanted to make some addition
to it. I went to every door in the building to seek
some one Avho could tell me Avhere to find him, but all
was as quiet as the grave. I then went to a smaller
building, and knocked. As no one answered, after
knockmg three times, I pushed open the door, and
entered. In one corner of a miserable room I found
an empty bedstead, with broken legs ; carpenter's tools
lay on the table and floof, and a coffin stood in another
corner. At the foot of the bed, on the bare earth, lay
a man, with his head on one of the broken legs of the
bedstead; his right arm was under his head, the left
lay across his face, so that I could only see the dark
hair ; the hands were spotted red and black, I thought
from the paint of the coffin. I asked him if he knew
where IMi'. Fisher was. He gave no answer : I sup-
posed him to be asleep, and he appeared to be ill. I
went out again quite quietly, and tried some other
doors ; but they were all locked, and not a* soul to be
seen. I went back again to the sleeper, and although
I called loudly, and shook him by the shoulder, I
could get no answer, and came away much vexed. At
length, after a great deal of trouble, I found Mr.
Fisher, and had my trouble for my pains, for he had
no work to give me. In the course of conversation, I
inquired about the man in the hut, and was told that
he had died the day before of smallpox: my blood
ran cold at the words, ^he doctor had stated the
nature of his disease, and desired that nobody should
go near him ; and as the man was poor, without a cent
in the world, he had shut tlie door, and never been
near him again. The poor fellow had been left to

MY ENGAGEMENT ON BOARD THE " FOX." 95

himself for three days, without even a drink of water,
and at last had died miserably on the floor. Little
Rock is a vile, detestable place in this respect, and the
boatmen on the IMississippi have good reason when
they sing —

" Little Eock in Arkansaw,
The d dest place I ever saw."

Yet several Germans inhabit the town and neighbor-
hood.

As nothing in the way of work was to be found in
the town, I went to the river to try and get some-
thing to do on board a steamer. The steamers " Fox "
and " Ilarp " were moored side by side. I went first
on board the " Fox," and was engaged as fireman, at
thirty dollars a month. In an hour the boat started.
I was quite contented, and had no trouble with my
lusErasre. We ran down the Arkansas to its mouth,
then up the Mississippi to Memphis, and back again to
Little Rock. The work of a fireman is as hard as any
in the world ; though he has only four hours in the
day and four in the night to keep up the fires,
yet the heat of the boilers, the exposure to the cutting
cold night air when in deep perspiration, the quantity
of brandy he drinks to prevent falling sick, the icy
cold water poured into the burning throat, must, sooner
or later, destroy the soundest and strongest constitution.
How I, unaccustomed to such work, managed to stand
it, has often surprised me.

In addition, there was the dangerous work of carry-
ing wood, particularly in dark and wet nights. One
has to carry logs of four or five feet in length, six or
seven at a time, down a steep, slippery bank, sometimes

96 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

fifteen or twenty feet in height when the water is low,
and then to cross a narrow, tottering plank, frequently
covered with ice, when a single false step would precip-
itate the unfortunate fireman into the rapid deep
stream, an accident which indeed happened to me
another time in the Mississippi. It is altogether a
miserable life, offering, moreover, a prospect of being
blown up, no uncommr)n misfortune, thanks to the
rashness of the American engineers.

I carried on this work for some time, till the deser-
tion of the cook at Memphis caused a vacancy in that
department. Just as the boat was about to start, I
offered myself for the place, and was accepted, although
I knew nothing more than how to boil a kettle ; yet I
very soon learned as much as was necessary.

When I returned to Little Rock I released my gun
and hunting-knife. The next voyage was to the mouth
of the Arkansa^s and back. The rude coarse life among
the lowest class of people soon disgusted me, and, in
addition to this, I had incurred the enmity of the
captain, who disliked me, probably only because I was
a German. Yet he could not do without me ; but as
I could not find a substitute, I was obliged to make
another voyage, and this time up the river. I already
had an idea how my service would terminate, and
having my game-bag packed, and my gun, hunting-
knife, and a tomahawk that I had purchased, all at
hand, I was prepared for any thing that might
happen.

Two days after our departure, the captain came
down to me as I was in the act of giving the remains
of a meal to a poor old woman, who was on her way to

QUARREL WITH THE CAPTAIN. 97

join her children, but who had not wherewithal to pay
her passage. An old Ponnsylvanian had informed me
that the captain had been abusing me. This, and the
question, " Who gave me permission to give away the
provisions ? " put me in a rage, and I asked him, rudely,
in return, "If he would rather that I should throw
them overboard ? " The " yes " was hardly out of his
mouth, when plate and food were floating in the
Arkansas. He gave vent to his rage by springing on
me, and seizing me by the breast ; in return I sent him
sprawling against the opposite side. He was quickly
up again, and snatching up a piece of broken hand-
spike, made a desperate blow at me, which I luckily
avoided. My fury now knew no bounds ; I grasped
his throat, and was dragging him to the side to throw
him overboard, when his cries brought the engineer
and boatswain to the rescue. One of them pulled the
captain away by his legs, while the other took me by
the shoulders, and then both carried the captain, whose
head was bleeding severely, into the cabin. I was
ordered to go directly to the book-keeper, received my
pay, the steamer stopped, I was landed on the bank,
the boat returned on board, and I found myself in quite
a new and extraordinary position.

All around me was a solitary wilderness — the river
behind me, the ground frozen hard, and covered with
a thin sheet of snow — a cold north wind blowing
through the leafless branches. I felt in my pocket
for my fire apparatus — it was all wet; not a single
grain of powder in my powder-horn, and only one
barrel loaded. I thought it would never do to dis-
charge my gun for the sake of lighting a fire, and remain
9

98 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR AYEST.

unarmed in the Avilderness. T cleared away the snow
from under a tree, lay down,- and tried to sleep ; but
the wind was too sharp, the cold insujiportable, and I
was afraid of being frozen. Driven to extremity, I
discharged my gun against the root of a tree, lighted a
match by the burning wadding, collected dry grass
and wood, and in a minute or two had a glorious
fire.

Although I heard the howls of several wolves, I did
not mind them, but enjoyed a sound sleep. Cer-
tainly, on the following morning, I trudged on rather
out of spirits, with no powder, and a very hungry
stomach.

I followed the direction of the river downwards, in
hopes of finding a house. After I had gone some dis-
tance, I saw an old, half-sunken canoe. I baled out
the water with my cap and found that she was still
serviceable. My former intentions of visiting Texas
returned in full force ; I decided on crossing to the
other side to look for a house, and procure food and
powder, and resolved then to strike off in a south-west
direction in search of the route to Texas.

I had hardly gained the opposite bank when I dis-
covered a large flock of wild turkeys. I took aim, and
pulled the trigger, forgetting that I had not loaded:
they took to the trees on my approach, and I suffered
the tortures of Tantalus at the sight; but there was
no help for it, and I was obliged to pass on. As it
always happens in such cases, I saw quantities of game
this day.

Cold and cloudy descended the night, bringing with
it the dreaded north wind ; I was obliged to lie do^\Ti

AN UNCOMFORTABLE NIGHT. 99

without a fire. In order to avoid the bears and pan-
thers, I had climbed up a tree, but the wind was too
sharp to make such an airy perch endurable. At
length I found a hollow tree, crept in, covered my feet
with my game-bag, placed my gun on my left side, and,
with my knife in my right hand, I passed one of the
most uncomfortable nights of my life. I heard the
howling of the wolves, and once the roar of a panther
in the distance ; but nothing came to disturb me, and
the bright morning sun saw me early on the march,
for my couch was not inviting enough to detain me.
At length, what music to my ears ! the crow of a cock
and bark of a dog announced the neighborhood of a
farm. I soon perceived the thin, blue smoke of a
chimney ascending into the beautiful clear sky, and,
with a quickened pace made towards it, hoping soon
to refresh both body and soul.

The good people gave me such a hospitable reception,
and placed so much on the table, that, notwithstanding
my fearful appetite, there was a great deal more than
I could eat. Fortunately, the farmer had a stock of
gunpowder, and filled my powder-horn for a quarter of
a dollar.

As I was about to depart, he asked if I would jiot
like to join a shooting party ; several of his neighbors
were coming this morning to search a thicket not far
from his house, where they expected to find a bear
which had robbed him of many of his pigs. I did not
long hesitate, cleaned my gun, loaded the left hand
barrel with ball and the right with buck-shot, and so
was ready for any thing. We had not long to wait,
and all mounted on horseback. We soon arrived at

100 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.^F

the spot, and rode round and round it ; it was the
thickly overgrown bed of a former spring. Suddenly
the dogs gave tongue, and immediately afterwards the
bear started out of his hiding-place. Eager as we
were we could only follow him slowly, on account of
the thick underwood ; so we hobbled the horses' fore-
legs, and pressed forward on foot.

One of the party soon proclaimed that, judging by
the bark of the dogs, the bear must have climbed up a
tree. Such proved to be the case, and we had hardly
discovered him, when I and one of the farmers fired :
both balls had taken effect, but a dull cry was the only
consequence : two others of the party coming up, fired.
He was mortally wounded, drew himself together, and
hung by one paw from the tree ; as I hit him on the
paw with my buck-shot, he fell, and died under the
bites of the dogs, who threw themselves furiously on
liim. His flesh was savory and tender, but he was
not so fat as was expected. I remained the night with
these kind people, and set off again on the following
morning.

Without any thing further worth noticing, I came,
on the loth March, to the bank of the Great Red river,
the ^boundary between the United States and Texas.
A farmer who had a canoe set me over the river, and,
following a well-trodden path on the other side, I came
to a large slave plantation. The overseer, who directed
the labors of the negroes, said at first that he had no
room for me to sleeji in ; but as there was no other
house far and wide where I could find shelter, he at
last agreed, and I found a sumptuous supper and com-
fortable bed.

TREATMENT OF SLAVES. 101

The land near the river was very swampy, and over-
grown with thick canes, but the wood became more
open and the ground dryer as 1 left the river. On the
evening of the third day, I again slept at a plantation,
and this was the last night I passed in a house for some
time to come. The overseer lived in a block-house,
and all around stood the smaller huts of the slaves, one
for each family. During the hours of labor, he car-
ried a heavy whip to keep the blacks in order ; yet he
did not seem to feel quite safe amongst these poor, ill-
treated people, for he had a pair of pistols in his saddle
holsters.

An overseer once assured me that the whip was the
best doctor for the slaves, and that when any one of
them fell sick, he was flogged till he was well again.
It might sometimes happen that a poor negro pretended
to be sick to get a day or two's rest ; but how often
must the really sick slave be most atrociously treated
by the inhuman overseer !

From these quarters I marched along fresh and in
good spirits into the forest, which already began to
look green. The birds sang so sweetly on the branches,
that my heart was joyful and mournful at the same
time ; I longed in vain for a companion, with whom
I could exchange thoughts. A shot echoed from the
plantation, and innumerable wild geese rose from the
cotton-fields behind me; with a deafening noise they
formed their usual triangle, and flew all in the same
direction.

Luckily for me, I had in my bag a couple of wild
ducks that I had killed and roasted the day before.
The forest was mortally dull, and the march began to
9*

102 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

grow rather tedious, for my rambles in the north were
still fresh in my memory. I passed the night very
pleasantly by a fire, while my hunger took the second
duck into consideration.

Towards noon I came to the little river Sulphur-
fork, which I was obliged to wade through, after many
vain attempts to find a shallow place, the water coming
up to my chest. I began to despair of getting any
thing to eat, and, being thoroughly wet, I resolved to
come soon to a halt, and dry myself by a fire, when all
at once I saw about fifty deer, within shot, all quietly
feeding, and taking no notice of me. For an instant I
stood petrified ; then every fibre in my body beat and
trembled with delight. The suddenness of the sight
had so excited me that I could not take aim, and I was
obliged to wait to collect myself. It was a glorious
sight, such a number of these noble animals together ;
I counted fifty-seven, and derived particular pleasure
from the antics of two fawns, which made the mo.-t
comical bounds, and came very near me without any
suspicion. Regret to kill such a beautiful innocent
creature witliheld my hand for some time, but hunger
was not to be cajoled, — I fired, and one of them fell
without a cry. The effect of the report upon the herd
was Cjuite ludicrous, — each of the hitherto unsuspicious
animals became an image of attention, then fled with
immense bounds towards the thicket. As I did not
move they stopped again, and began to feed, but not
without frequently raising their heads to listen. The
impression which the fall of his playfellov/ had produced
on the other fawn was very different. Far from flying,
he came nearer, smelt the poor animal as if he thought

A WOODLAND SUPPER A PANTHER. 103

it was play, setting his fore-foot several times on the
body of his comrade as if to induce him to get up. I had
tlie other barrel still loaded, but thought it would be
like murder to injure a hair of the little creature.

As I stepped out from the bushes, the fawn stared
at me with astonishment in his large clear eyes ; prob-
ably he had never seen a man before. He then flew
like the wind towards his dam, but stopping now and
then as if he expected his comrade. I quickly made a
fire on the spot to roast my game, putting the greater
part of the back and the brisket on sticks before the
fire with hollow bark underneath to catch the dripping
for basting ; and a delicious meal was very soon the
result of this simple proceeding.

Next day, as I was going quietly along througli forest
and prairie, looking out right and left for game or
amusement, I caught sight of something in a large oak.
Fixing my eyes steadily on it, and coming closer, I
recognized the glowing eyes of a panther crouched on a
bough, and seemingly ready to spring. I gave him
both barrels, one after the other, when he fell from the
tree, and died with a fearful howl. lie was a large
handsome beast, of an ashy gray color, and measuring
from seven to eight feet from the nose to the end of the
tail.

It was well that I had venison in my game-bag,
for the panther would have been a tough morsel. I
dragged the rather heavy skin with me till the even-
ing, and slept soundly on it for my trouble. A damp
fog came on towards morning, which soon turned to
fine penetrating rain, seeming to foretell a disagreeable
day ; but as I had enjoyed beautiful weather in general,

104 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

I could not complain. The sky became quite dark, the
rain fell heavier, and I was soon wet through. I left
the panther skin where I had slept, so that I had no
heavy burden to carry. I found my stomach begin-
ning to loathe the quantity of animal food that was put
into it, and to long for bread, but I was obliged to
divert my thoughts from the subject, and the last
remains of the venison were discreetly devoured.
Meantime I had killed a turkey, so that at all events I
had something in store.

My plan hitherto had been to push on to the nearest
eastern settlement; but the road w^as too long and
tedious, so I turned southwards, in order afterwards
to proceed eastward towards Louisiana and the Red
river. The constant rain made it impossible to light
a fire this evening, and I passed a miserable night, for
though I tried to make a shelter of pieces of bark, I
could not manage it ; however, the night came at last
to an end, and cold, cross, and hungry as a lion, I went
along ■with only a plucked turkey in my bag.

About noon my day's journey was brought to an
unexpected end by a river that had overflowed its
banks. The rain had ceased, so that, Avith better for-
tune than yesterday, I succeeded in making a fire, and
my turkey, divided into four quarters, was soon in front
of it. Now, comfortably stretched before my fire, I
considered whether I should cross the river ; I had no
sort of business on the other side, and it seemed absurd
to swim across for nothing — so I settled on quitting
Texas, and returning to the United States. If I had
a friend Avith me I could have gone on to the shores
of the Pacific, but I had no mind to do it alone.

BEAU SHOOTING. 105

When I had finished my repast, I got up and made my
way in an E. S. E. direction.

As the rain had left off, I made up to-night for the
wakefuhiess of the last ; Avhen I awoke the fire had
burnt out, and tlie sun was shining through the burst-
ing buds of the trees. I had a good wash in a
neighboring spring, and felt like a giant refreshed.

After taking my frugal breakfast, the remains of
yesterday's meal, I drew more towards the east, in
order the sooner to fall in with human beings, to
eat bread, and taste salt. I had occasionally used
gunpowder instead of salt, but my store of powder was
not sufficient for such a luxury, and it was better to be
without salt than without powder.

Gun on shoulder, I trudged slowly and surely on,
over hill and dale, through prairies and forest streams,
towards the sun-rising, taking sharp notice of all
around. While thus proceeding, wrapped in my
thoughts, suddenly something rustled in a bush in front
of me, and a bear started out and took to flight. My
ball was soon in his interior ; on being hit he stopped
and looked round at me in a fury. Expecting nothing
less than an attack, I quietly cocked the other barrel ;
but his intentions of attacking me seemed to pass off,
and he crept into a thicket instead. I quickly loaded
with ball and followed him : as I approached he retreated
slowly, probably suffering from his wound : as soon as
I got a clear view of his head, I fired again, but only
grazed his skull. As I ran towards him his fury in-
creased, and he turned to meet me ; on taking aim
Avith my second barrel at about thirty paces, it missed
fire. With open jaws and ears laid back, he rushed

106 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

towards me; in this mortal danger, I preserved my
presence of mind. Dropping my gun, and drawing my
knife, I sprang back a couple of paces behind a small
tree ; at this moment the bear was only a few feet from
me. As he rose on his hind legs to embrace me, he
was almost as tall as I, and his fiery eyes and long
teeth had nothing very attractive ; but he was not
destined to know the taste of my flesh.

I was quite collected, feeling sure that one or the
other must die. The moment he tried to grasp me, I
thrust my long double-edged hunting knife into the
yawning abyss of his jaws, and boring it into his brain,
I brought him to the ground. I did not then know
better, but I ought to have sprung back after wound-
ing him, and then I should have escaped unhurt. As
it was, he dragged away my coat in falling, and tore my
arm slightly. I thanked God that it was no worse.
There I sat on the sweet smelling heath, with my coat
all in rags, and no other to put on. To assuage my
sorrow, I cut a large steak from the bear, which tasted
particularly good after my severe exertions. I carried
away the skin. In the evening I fell in with a herd
of deer, but did not fire at them, as I was well provided
with meat.

On the following evening I heard a shot. The
sound ran through me like an electric shock. There
were, then, other people in this wilderness, and not
very far off, for the shooter must be on the other side
of the nearest hill. I turned rapidly in the direction
whence the sound came, and had hardly gained the
crest of the liill, when a romantic and variegated scene
spread itself before my eyes.

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS. 107

It was an Indian camp, and all were occupied in
pitching their tents, and preparing for the night.
Here, were some cutting tent-poles with their toma-
hawks ; there, women collecting firewood for cooking ;
men securing the horses by hobbling their fore-legs ;
another skinning a deer. In short, it was life in the
wilds in highest force. I should never have tired
of looking at these noble muscular figures, their faces
marked with various ochres, their heads adorned with
feathers, and their bright-colored dresses.

I was not long allowed to remain a spectator, for the
dogs barked and ran at me. Breaking off a green
bough, I went with it to the camp. The Indians
called off the dogs, and all eyes Avere now directed
towards the stranger. Going up to a group of young
men, who were stretching a deer-skin, I asked if any of
them spoke English, and was directed to an elderly
man, who Avas sitting smoking under a tree and
watching me. I told him that I Avas a traveller, that
I Avished to return to the banks of the Red river, and
asked if I could pass the night in his camp. A con-
siderable group of young men had in the mean time
assembled round us. At lemz-th the old man asked —
" Are white men so scarce that you come alone into
the Avilderness ? " I replied that I had only come for
the sake of shooting, and noAv Avished to return. In-
stead of an ansAver, he silently gaA'e me his pipe, out of
which I took a few Avhiffs, and then handed it to one of
the Indians standing near me. He did the same, and
returned it to the chief. I noAV sat down beside him.
He asked a great many questions, amongst others, hoAV
I had torn my coat so badly ? Whereupon I related

108 "WILD SPORTS IX THE FAK WEST.

my affair with the bear. Pie smiled, and translated
my account to the others, who also showed interest in
my adventure.

The chief then told me that it was highly dangerous
for any one unused to these encounters to risk such a
fight, and that it was necessary to spring quickly back
after the thrust, the dying bear having sometimes suc-
ceeded in killing his enemy. Pie took particular notice
of my double-barrelled gun and hunting-knife, and said
that he had never before seen two barrels joined to-
gether. Pie spoke English better than I did, and,
what was very agreeable, he spoke slowly.

The Indians belonged to the Choctaw tribe, and
were come out of Arkansas in search of game. As
night came on, fires were burning all around us, and
the women, among whom were some beautiful figures,
cooked the suppers, Avliile the men quietly smoked
their pipes. Finding the Indian fashion of staring at
the fire rather tedious, I made several attempts to en-
gage the chief in conversation, but only received short
answers, so that at last there was nothing left for it but
to play the Indian, and maintain a dignified silence.

At length we retired to rest. I slept on a bear-skin
beside the fire, in front of the chief's tent. Before
sunrise, I was awakened by the noise and songs of the
Indians, who were preparing for a shooting excursion.
I jumped up, and was getting ready to join them, but
soon remembered that, Avith my ragged coat, I could
not venture among the thorns; — I should have been
caught every moment. I showed it to one of the
young men, he immediately ran off*, and soon re-
turned with a sort of coat, or rather hunting-shirt,

AN IXDIAX SHOOTING PARTY. 109

made out of a blanket. He made signs that he would
sell it to me, and was delighted to receive a dollar for
it, with the rags of my green coat into the bargain.
For a second dollar I obtained his embroidered belt,
and was now quite set up again. Resolving to be
quite an Indian for the time, I left my game-bag in the
camp.

We set off, sixteen in number, all on foot, some
of the Indians with firearms, others with bows and
arrows, Avith which they can hit their mark at a great
distance. I attached myself to one of the young men
with a bow and arrows, and, as we could not under-
stand each other's language, we proceeded in silence.
Each of us had provisions, which we ate as we went
along. It may have been about noon when we saw a
herd of deer. My companion went round to gain the
wind of them, and shot a couple with his unerrino-
arrows. Away flew the others in headlong fright,
coming directly towards mo, in such blind haste, that
the leader of the herd, a fat buck of eleven, was little
more than ten paces off, when he discovered me. My
ball pierced his heart, and he fell without a cry. The
rest fled in all directions.

We were obliged to return to the camp for horses
to carry our booty. My companion started off in a
straight line for the camp, which I should never have
been able to find again. It was only a few miles dis-
tant, although I thought it must be at least half a
day's journey behind us. On arriving at the camp, we
each mounted on horseback, and rode off at a quick
trot to the place where our game lay, which ^ve found
without difficulty, the Indian having marked several
10

110 "WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

frees with his tomahawk as we retiimed. The last
prize we came to was my buck, and on liim we saw a
Avikl-cat preparing to enjoy itself. The Indian rushed
forward, and the cat, whix^li did not perceive him till too
late, flew up a tree, whence an arrow from the sure
hand of my companion soon brought it to the ground.
It was of a gray color, and larger than the domestic
cat. "When these animals are irritated they will attack
m(_'n : my comrade caiTied off the skin.

We rode back with our booty to the camp, and were
received with cheers. The party all returned one
after the other, most of them with game, one with an
immense bear that he had killed, the largest I had yet
seen.

^Yhl\e cooking was going on, the young men danced
and sang, the women taking no part in their amuse-
ments, but quietly continuing their occupations.

On the following morning the chief said that he had
set a wolf-trap, and we went to see if any thing had
been caught. -As there was plenty of food in the
camp, we all went together, except three, who, having
killed nothing yesterday, set off to try their luck again
to-day. We took four large strong dogs with us, and
followed the chief. With a triumphant smile he
showed me where he had set the trap, and near it a
trace of blood; it was shown to the dogs, and they
followed it up in full cry.

After running about a mile, they barked louder and
louder. We hurried on as fast as w^e could, and found
the wolf at his last gasp under the furious attack of
the dogs. They were immediately called off, and
appeared to have suffered considerably, particularly

WOLF-TRAPS. m

one, whose ear the wolf, a great black beast, had bitten
quite away.

These traps are set with a bait, but not fastened, for
if the wolf is caught, and the trap should be immov-
able, he would bite off his own leg sooner than let
himself be taken. So the trap is only fastened by a
chain to an iron clog with four hooks ; as soon as the
Avolf finds himself caught, he attempts to hurry away
with the trap, but is detained every moment by the
hooks catching in the roots and bushes ; yet he manages
to get clear again, and has been known to take the iron
clog in his mouth — but the trap still remains a hin-
de ranee, and he is easily traced.

By this time I had enjoyed Indian life long enough,
and wished myself back again in more civilized society ;
yet I remained another day with them, during which
we shot at a mark with bows and arrows, and I caused
many a smile among the Indians, as I shot a foot wide
of the mark, which they seldom missed. We next
threw tomahawks at a tree, and in this ^^I'^ctice I was
rather more successful.

On the following morning I resumed my journey to
the east, provided with venison and coarse salt, and as
I saw the last Indians disap2)ear behind the trees, it
seemed as if I was now for the first time alone in the
foi-est ; but I soon became reaccustomed to my former
life, and slept again this night, as well as a man can
sleep, on grass and fragrant moss.

Next day I came to the Sabine, seeking in vain for
a ford ; and as the river was considerably swelled, and
seemed wider and deeper further south, there was
nothing for it but a swim. I made a small raft, which

112 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

I bound together with creepers, and securing my gun,
game-bag, knife, tomahawk, and poAvder-horn on the
top of it, I pushed it before me to the opposite bank.

On the 30th of January, as I arrived at the Great
Red river, I saw a farm-house, and the crow of a cock
broke on my ear as the music of the spheres. But the
house was on the other side of the broad and swollen
stream, which rolled along its dirty red waves at a fear-
ful rate. In vain I sliQutcd and roared myself hoarse ;
a shot had no better effect. I had made up my mind to
hide my gun and other things in the bush, and swim
over, Avhen a second shot roused the farmer's attention.
He came to the bank, and seeing some one calhng and
beckoning on the opposite side, he cast off his canoe,
and coming across, Avas not a little astonished at finding
me alone.

I received a hearty welcome from liis family, who
were exceedingly amused at the appetite with Avhich I
made the bread disappear, and at my enjoyment of the
coffee.

As I did not wish to remain here long, I soon came
to an agreement with the farmer about the sale of his
canoe ; he let me have it for four dollars, throwing a
smoked leg of A'enison, a roast turkey, and some loaves
of maize bread into the bargain.

I was soon afloat in this hollowed trunk, drifting
rapidly down the stream, which carried gigantic trees
along with it. The light craft dashed forward like an
arrow under the strokes of my paddle, so that, accord-
ing to a reckoning made afterwards, I must have gone
about 400 miles in five days. It was not till late in
the night that I ran in among the reeds, and slept
quietly in my own })roperty.

£^

THE ALLIGATOR

NAKKOAV ESCAPE FOR MY CANOK. 113

On the day after my departure, I fell in with a
number of planks; they had probably been washed
away from some village on the banks. They had floated
against a tree, that was stuek fast in the bed of the
river. Intending to take them with me, in the hope
of making something by their sale, I paddled to the
tree, and in attempting to secure the planks I over-
reached myself; the current carried away the canoe
from under me, and in an instant I was in the water,
holding on to the bough of the tree, and close to an
aUigator. Luckily the beast was as much afraid of
me°as I of him, and he disappeared under the water.
I quickly swung myself on the bough to reach my
canoe, but too late, it was already in the full strength
of the current, leaving me hanging on the waving
bough, with canoe, gun, powder, and all that I pos-
sessed, a prey to the waves. I saw perfectly well at
once that I must either regain my canoe or perish
miserably of starvation, so I let go the bough, and
swam with all my might towards the fugitive. It cost
a quarter of an hour's desperate exertion before I
reached it, and then I had to push her to the bank, in
order to get on board, for any attempt to do so in the
middle of the stream would have upset her. In regain-
ing the canoe I had saved my life.

When my store of provisions was exhausted I shot
wild-fowl, and got them cooked at the nearest planta-
tion, for now, as I approached Louisiana, the land was
more occupied.

Several hundred miles above its junction with the
Mississippi, the Great Red river is blocked up by
numbers of trees that have been carried down and
10*

11-4 AVILD SrOKTS IX THE FAll "SVEST.

become fixed, mid although the United States Govern-
ment has caused a passage for steamers to be cut
through them, yet I -was advised not to attempt it ^vilh
my canoe, because the current ran through it Avi.h
such force, that the least obstacle I might encounter
Avould inMlibly overset the canoe. I was therefore
obliged to traverse two lakes, called Clear Lake and
Soda Lake, which are connected with the river above
and below the Raft, as the collection of matted trees is
called.

I saw a great number of alligators sunning them-
selves on the warm sands. I shot ten or eleven of
them, but could never prevail on m^'self to touch them.
They were from three to twelve feet long, and some-
times even eighteen feet. Kot far from the mouth
of the river, on the fifth day, just about dusk, seeing
something white in the water ahead of me, I paddled
to it, and laid hold of it, but drew my hand back
Avith a shudder, and the blood ran cold in my veins ;
it was a corpse — the naked white back alone floated
above the surfiice, head, arms, and legs hanging down ;
a wound several inches long was visible on the left
side, just under the ribs. I paddled hastily away
in sickening disgust, and left the horrid object behind
me.

On the following morning I entered the Mississippi,
the excessively dirty " Father of Waters." The sceneiy
assumed a more tropical character, and the long
waving moss hanging from the gigantic trees gave it
a pecuharly strange aspect. After entering this mag-
nificent river I took on board fresh provender, not far
from the junction, and directed my course towards that

BY STEAMER TO NEW ORLEANS. 115

"New Orleans," now some 240 miles distant, about
which I had heard so much. But on the second day,
when I was still some hundred miles from it, a little
above Baton Rouge, it came on to blow fresh, and the
wind caused such a swell in the river, that I could no
longer keep my little craft free of water ; indeed it
was not without great effort and difficulty that I was
able to reach the shore.

There was a farm near the place where I landed,
whose owner had a quantity of wood for sale, ready
cut, and piled up for the use of steamers. A steamer,
bound for New Orleans, was in the act of wooding at
the time. It w^ould have been folly to have attempted
to continue the voyage in such a swell in so frail a craft
as mine, and as I found the farmer willing to buy her
■we soon agreed as to terms. I transferred my effects
to the steamer, and late on the same evening arrived at
New Orleans.

For the night I slept on board, but early the next
morning went to a German tavern to refresh myself
after all the hardships I had undergone, and to sleep
in a regular bed. Oh, how comfortably I stretched
myself on the soft mattress ! I got up very early to
have a look at the place, liaving no wish to show my-
self in the costume of a savage when the streets were
thronged. For nine months my hair had been uncut,
and during five no razor had approached my chin ;
then what with my old woollen hunting-shirt, my em-
broidered belt, and the high waterproof boots, which
had faithfully held out to the last, people would have
thought me more like a scarecrow than a human being :
my first visit was to a barber.

116 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

I had heard too much boasting and bragging about
New Orleans, not to be disappointed in my expecta-
tions. I found it by no means so splendidly or so
tastefuUy built as was asserted, and as I walked along
the narrow streets my thoughts wandered to the far
more agreeable Cincinnati. The only handsome build-
ing in New Orleans, and one without a parallel, is the
St. Charles' Hotel, which certainly is very magnifi-
cent. •

It is no wonder that the air of New Orleans should
be generally so unhealthy, and in autumn quite pesti-
lential, for the town is built in a complete swamp, and
required to be protected by a dam from being sub-
merged by the river. It certainly was never intended
by nature for the abode of man ; at most it. is fitted for
alligators, frogs, and mosquitoes. It is the churchyard of
the United States.

CHAPTER V.

CINCINNATI A FARMER'S LIFE IN THE WOODS.

Scenery around New Orleans — AiTangeraents of American steamers

— Cincinnati and its reputation — Number of German inhabitants

— Situation of tlie town — Religious absurdities ; the girl " pos-
sessed with a devil " — Dangers of American steam navigation —
The "Mississippi" — Rambles in the woods — Crawfish — Mos-
quitoes—Picnic in the woods — Poisonous plants — Residence

with a backwoodsman, and farming operations — Wild honey

Cattle keeping— Turkeys' eggs — A Methodist meeting— Attack
of ague — Our farming operations.

I FOUND letters and money awaiting me here, which
came very opportunely, as I had expended nearly all I
had gained. I now looked out for a passage to Cin-
cinnati ; the steamer " Chillicothe " was to start for
that place at ten the next day. I paid five dollars for
1,500 miles. A cheaper voyage is almost impossible.
"We did not start till evening.

On ascending the river from New Orleans, the
scenery is quite enchanting. There is a succession of
plantations, with country-houses embosomed in orange
and pomegranate trees, &c., while the regular rows of
negro cottages give a peculiar character to the whole.

The Mississippi steamers are light and sharp, built
to make their passages as quick as possible, and to
enrich their owners in five or six years, — then they
may burst or sink. The boilers are in the forepart of

(117)

118 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAK WEST.

the vessel, the stokers working under them in the
open air. They reach nearly to the centre, some
steamers having as many as eight ; the " Chillicothe " had
seven. The machinery, also on deck, comes next, and
then a place for steerage-passengers, where there is no
want of fresh air ; it is provided with three rows of
bed places. Mounting a flight of steps you find the
officers' cabins forward, and generally a bar for the
sale of various drinks, excepting in the " Temperance "
boats. The saloon is in the centre, having sleeping
cabins with glass doors, for gentlemen, on each side ;
and near the stern, the most secure place in case of
disaster, is the ladies' cabin. Some of the boats have
a third story, but most are satisfied with the arrange-
ment described above. The station for the helmsman
is placed high up between the two cliimneys, covered
over and glazed, so that he can look out in all direc-
tions. The tiller ropes have lately been made of wire,
so that in case of fire, the vessel might remain under
command of the helm till the last moment.

TVe had a great number of passengers, amongst them
a young woman of about two or three and twenty,
who came on board a little below Natchez with a very
young man. The young people seemed to have been
only lately married, to judge by their hugging and
kissing. When we arrived at Louisville, in Kentucky,
the steamer had to discharge cargo, and remained the
greater part of the day. I was standing on the bow-
sprit watching the proceedings, when an elderly gen-
tleman very well dressed, accosted me, and, describing
the couple, inquired if they were on board. I replied
in the affirmative, and accompanied him to the lower

A RUNAWAY COUPLE. ] 19

cabin. The lady was sitting on a trunk and reading;
her companion had gone into the town. I suspected
that all was not right, and that the old gentleman had
good reasons for coming; but the quiet unconcerned
manner of both parties soon did away with my sus-
picions. In the first moment indeed her color seemed
to change slightly, but she rose quietly, laid aside her
book, and offering her hand to the gentleman, said,
civilly, " How do you do, sir ? " After a short time
they retired into a corner, and spoke very earnestly
together. Meantime, I took no more notice of them,
but at bedtime I was not a little astonished to see the
old gentleman take the husband's place, while the
young man, as pale as death, stood by the stove heedless
of its burning the tails of his coat. The lady was the
wife of the gentleman who came on board at Louisville,
and had run away with the young man. The husband
had obtained information, and followed them, but
would hardly have overtaken them, if the vessel had
not stopped to discharge cargo. The cool self-possession
exhibited by both parties, in order to avoid observation,
was really astonishing ; on his part, in not giving way
to his just displeasure, but remaining composed and
serious ; on her part, in alloAving nm shock or trace of
alarm to be visible, which would have been so natural,
when her deeply injured husband, whom she supposed
to be 1,400 miles distant, stood suddenly before her.
They all three left the boat next morning.

On the 20th of February I arrived again at Cincin-
nati, and was kindly received by all my old acquaint-
ances after my long absence and adventures.

Cincinnati, the queen of the West, the El Dorado of

120 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

the German emigrant ! Ask a German, who is
travelling into the interior from one of the seaports,
"V^^here are you going ? and the answer will invariably
be — to Cincinnati. And what will he find there ? On
my arrival every house was full of people looking out
for work, and who would willingly have taken any
wages that were offered them, though only enough to
keep body and soul together. Among others, I met
with a man who had written to his brother to come
over to him, as this was the land where roasted pigeons
flew into men's mouths. And as a proof of it, he
referred to himself: a few years ago he had emigrated
without a farthing, and now kept an hotel and coffee-
house. In point of fact, it was true ; he had indeed, an
hotel and coffee-house ; but what does that mean in Amer-
ica ? Every hovel with one room large enough for five or
six double beds, where a dozen people are fed three times
a day for from two-and-a-quarter to two-and-a-half
dollars a week each, is called aii hotel. Coffee-house
is a name for any place where two or three bottles
are stuck in the window, while the name of the owner
is proudly painted over the door as coffee-house keeper.
The poor German, deceived by these exalted titles,
came over to his brother, and found liim, in spite of
hotel and coffee-house, in a miserable condition, and
hardly able to maintain himself. Several similar cases
occurred during the time of my residence.

There are a great number of Germans in Cincinnati,
particularly in the upper town across the canal, which,
on that account, is often called Little Germany by the
Americans. Unfortunately, my beloved countrymen
are not celebrated for cleanliness and good conduct.

CINCINNATI AND ITS RELIGIOUS SECTS. 121

and the degree of estimation in which they are every-
where held does not at all accord with the accounts I
had read in a number of works on America concerning
the way in which they were treated there ; and
although the well-behaved are respected there as else-
where, yet it is painful to hear the word Dutchman,
as the Americans always call us, used as a term of re-
proach, even when you yourself are excepted. Every-
where in America, and particularly in Cincinnati, there
are people who, having gained a few dollars, look down
with contempt on their poorer countrymen, and even
join the Americans in abusing them, showing how
little they care about the esteem in which the German
is held; these, however, were exceptions, and I was
heartily ashamed of them.

Although the situation of Cincinnati is very healthy,
yet it abounds in doctors and apothecaries. Numbers
of the former are Germans ; how they all manage to
live is quite a mystery.

I was much amused with some of the religious
absurdities which are carried on at Cincinnati, and in
which my countrymen also distinguish themselves.
The Methodists, under the guidance of a Pennsylvanian

of the name of N h, caiTy these practices to the

greatest excess; on every Sunday evening they meet
to howl, and jump, and beat their breasts, and then
pronounce themselves perfectly happy.

This party supports a paper called the " Christian
Apology." Its bitterest opponent is the Roman Cath-
olic " Friend of Truth," which only discontinues its
thunder against the heretical folly of the " Christian
Apology " when it hurls a whole volley of abuse and ex-
11

122 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

ecration against the " Friend of Light," which advocates
rational religion, and holds up the two others to ridicule.

During my present residence, I heard that a German
girl was lying sick, and said to be possessed of a devil,
in " Little Germany." At first I would not believe
that any thing of the sort could occur in the present
day ; — but a young Oldenburgher, with whom I had be-
come acquainted, assured me by all that was holy, that
it was so, that he had seen it, and that having expressed
his opinion rather too freely, the bigoted people, Roman
Catholic Alsatians, fell upon him, and drove him out of
the house.

I decided on witnessing the proceedings, and, in com-
pany with a friend, set off one evening to the house in
Little Germany. We had no difficulty in finding our
way to the " sick maiden," for the whole of that part
of the town was full of the extraordinary circumstance,
as they called it. It was dark when Ave entered a little
room in a frame house : a lamp on the chimney-piece
was nearly burnt out, the space was almost filled by
about thirty people all on their knees in silent prayer ;
not a word was spoken : the lamp flickered, flashed up
again, and went out. It remained perfectly dark, and
nothing was audible but the breathing of those who
were repeating their prayers ; then a low murmuring,
rustling sound struck the ear, and for some time I did
not know what to make of it. Suddenly a door opened,
light streamed into the room, and with it the murmurs
of numerous voices. People came through the door-
way, and those who had been praying on their knees
rose up, and moved towards the light : we followed the
stream. An extraordinary sight presented itself: we

THE GIRL "POSSESSED WITH A DEVIL." 123

entered a tolerably sized room, oppressively hot, and
full of people on their knees, both men and women.
It was lighted by two candles on a table, at which
three men were seated, with open books, reading aloud
the Roman Catholic prayer, " Blessed art thou, Maria,"
which all the people repeated after them ; when it was
ended, they began again.

Although it was only May, the heat was so great
from the number of people that I felt half-boiled ; but
it seemed much warmer to the poor creature, who was
being made a sacrifice to the demon of absurdity. She
was lying in a wide bed in the corner opposite to the
table, and was said to be seventeen years old ; I should
have guessed her nearer thirty-seven. She appeared to
be very weak and ailing, and no wonder, considering
that the praying went on night and day without inter-
mission : her mother leant over her, wiping away from
her brow the perspiration arising from the heat of the
room.

It may have been about seven o'clock when we
entered this sepulchre of reason and common sense,
and it was ten before we succeeded in making our way
out ; and the whole time was occupied with a mono-
tonous repetition of the same prayer, offered up, as a
little Alsatian lightly whispered to me, " To drive out
the devil in order that she may recover." The devil
in question must certainly have been one of the most
obstinate that ever existed, for had I been in his place,
such proceedings would have driven me out long ago.
It was a real luxury to inhale the pure night air, after
escaping from such a pestilential hole. I have never
heard since what became of the poor woman.

124 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

As I learned, after a long stay in Cincinnati, that I
had been deceived by those I had trusted in New York,
and that not only all my money but my clothes also
were gone, there was nothing left for it but to en-
deavor to get work. I had already made a few voyages
as sailor and stoker on board a steamer, Avhich affected
my health, and laid me up for several weeks. Besides,
human life did not seem to be particularly safe on
board American steamers, especially on the western
waters, disasters frequently happening through the
rashness and carelessness of the officers in charge ; for
example, while I was in one of them, the " Moselle," a
very fast boat, was blown up near Cincinnati, through
the obstinacy of the captain in racing with another
boat, and stopping the safety-valve, by which 130 per-
sons, whose names were on the passengers' list, lost
their lives, besides a number of steerage passengers,
whose names are not inscribed. Thirty carts were
employed in carrying their mutilated remains to the
burial-places ; for weeks afterwards, bodies were fre-
quently washed on shore. The force of the steam Avas
so great, that one man was thrown over to the Ken-
tucky shore, and another came down, head foremost,
through a shingle roof.

In preference to such a life, I sought for work in
Cincinnati, and obtained it at a silversmith's. Though
at first without any knowledge of the business, I soon
acquired -it, and was treated by the master and his
family, good kind Americans, as if I had been one of
their own relations. This was the quietest time of my
existence. I worked hard and lived moderately. But
this sort of life did not suit me ; I longed for the free

I START AFRESH FOR THE WOODS. 125

woods and nature, and was only detained by the hopes
of acquiring a sufficiency, and then buying a portion of
land and settling, together with the fulfilment of other
long-cherished plans. But plans they remained, and
in May I cast off my self-imposed yoke ; having ex-
changed my shot gun for a double-barrelled rifle, got
all my shootmg gear in order, packed up a zither,
which I had bought and learnt to play in Cincinnati,
I bade a hearty farewell to all the kind friends I had
made, and set off again Avith a young German, named
Uhl, by the steamer " Commerce," to seek fresh adven-
tures and encounter new dangers.

The steamer foamed and hissed through the waves,
which rose high upon her bows, the land receding on
both sides, as if impelled by a magician's wand. I felt
as if new born, and flying to some strange, wild land.
At first starting, the ideas awakened by the passing
scenes were rather confused, but, as we rushed on, they
became clearer, and at last I might have nodded to
each gigantic tree that adorned the beautiful banks of
the Ohio, and asked if it did not remember me.

My companion, a young Berliner, with whom I had
become acquainted and struck up a friendship in Cin-
cinnati, and who was as fond of field sports as myself,
did not participate in my feelings, but sat himself down
comfortably with no trifling appetite to a symposium,
Avhich he had provided for himself, in the shape of a
smoked tongue, with bread and whiskey. We had not
proceeded far when it grew dark; and, fatigued with
all the labors and excitement of the day, I was soon
ensconced on my soft, warm buffalo skin.

On the 17th May, 1839, we entered the Mississippi,
11*

126 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

whom I saluted as an old, long lost, and long wished-
for friend ; a change in the color shows where the
Ohio joins the " Father of Waters," for the first is clear
and bright, wdiile the latter is dull and muddy. They
run together for some distance, quite distinct, the
Mississippi becoming more and more intrusive, the
other shyly withdraAving, as if vexed that its clear
waves should be contaminated by all the dirt which its
companion derives from the Missouri.

On the 18th, at five in the afternoon, the " Com^
merce " stopped at Memphis, in Tennessee. We imme-
diately crossed to the opposite side, and sprang joyfully
ashore in the long-desired Arkansas. We greatly
enjoyed the mild balsamic air that blew towards us
from the green forest, after our four days' voyage, and
we should have enjoyed it still more but for the load
Ave had to carry. Besides my game-bag, Avhich was
filled with all possible sorts of things, I had a large
buffalo skin, and Uhl a heavy blanket, with our store of
powder and ball. But we were fresh and in good con-
dition, and resolved, although it was already dusk, to
commence our march the same evening, taking advan-
tage of the cool night air, the mid-day sun of Arkansas
being rather too kindly disposed. We walked on for
about five miles in the brightest moonlight, and then
lay down to repose, but were obliged to get up again
and make a fire, on account of the mosquitoes, which
were very troublesome.

The next morning found us cheerful and refreshed,
and, as hungry as lions, we started off, in the hope of
making a prize of a deer ; but a farmer told us that this
was not the right season for them, and we were glad to

BAD SPORT AND BAD WEATHER. 127

enter a house and satiate our appetites with bacon and
maize bread. The information we obtained about the
game was not very encouraging ; they all seek shelter
in the thickest coppices, or among the reeds to avoid
the flies and mosquitoes, which persecute the poor
creatures incessantly; but we could not now change
our plans, so marched steadfastly on. The farmers were
quite right ; we did not see any deer, or any traces of
them ; a poor partridge, perched on a tree, as is cus-
tomary with the American partridges, and looking at
us with inquiring eyes, was our only sport.

In the afternoon the sky became covered with dark
clouds, to our great delight, because it made the air so
much cooler. In the evening we saw the first turkey.
He was crossing our path, and stood still when he saw
us : Uhl fired and missed ; so our turkey made his bow
and departed.

Heavy rain came on with the night, and we were
very glad to find an old deserted house, where at least
we could keep ourselves dry. We made a glorious fire,
and the rain holding up for a short time, we washed
our clothes, which soon dried by the blaze we had
made. "We then broiled the partridge in the iron
spoon that we carried with us for melting lead,
sprinkled it with powder for want of salt, and discussed
it under the mournful feeling of " only one bird for two
men."

The next mornino; brouo;ht with it better weather,
and an excessively bad road, the rain having all but
destroyed it ; a few miles from our night's quarters we
came to a house, in which we could at least satisfy our
hunger. As the roads were so bad, we decided on

128 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

leaving our heavy articles here for a time while we
went in search of game. But game seemed to have
vanished entirely ; we traversed the forest in all direc-
tions in vain : we only saw a few turkeys, and these
were too shy to let us come within shot. "We took up
stations to watch for them in the night, but without
seeing any thing, and returned disappointed and tired
to the house.

Greater misfortune awaited me next day. Con-
tinuing our route, we came on the fresh trail of a bear,
and eagerly followed it, but the wood was so thick and
our packs so inconvenient that we were obliged to give
it up. On returning to the path, I was in the act of
springing over a pool, when my foot catching in one of
the numerous creepers that cover the ground, I was
thrown, and broke the stock of my rifle, besides cutting
my under lip and loosening some of my teeth : I secured
my ritle as well as I could with my pocket handker-
chief, and went on vexed and out of tune.

About ten o'clock in the morning, the sun began to
dart his hot rays upon us rather more fiercely than we
thought agreeable ; we resolved to enter the first liouse
we came to, till the great heat of the day was pas.-:ed.
It happened to be inhabited by an elderly widow and
her sons ; while we were conversing together I observed
one of the boys fishing in a little flowing stream, pull-
ing up prizes as fast as he could. The lucky fisherman
excited my curiosity ; I went to see what he was catch-
ing, and could hardly believe my eyes when I found
that they were crawfish. So long was it since I had
tasted them, that they made my mouth water ; I soon
got my fish-hook to work, and in the course of half an

CRAWFISH BLACKFISH LAKE. 129

hour UIil and I with two of the boys had caught half
a pailful. The old lady looked at us with astonish-
ment as we seized a saucepan, put in the crawfish with
a little salt, filled it up with water, and set it on the
fire; they had always thought them only fit for bait.
The crawfish soon began to show their red noses, and,
when done, we set to work on them. The meal itself
was no slight treat, but our enjoyment was much
heightened by watching the countenances of the Ameri-
cans, expressive half of merriment, half of disgust,
for they had never dreamt that people could eat such
nasty animals with such a zest.

When the trees made long shadows we took a friendly
leave of these kind folks, and set off towards the west.
About ten o'clock we came to Blackfish lake, which
we had to cross. There was a house on the bank,
where the ferryman lived ; but everybody seemed fast
asleep — so w^e lighted our fire close to the lake, and,
covering ourselves Avell in our buffalo skin and blanket,
we slept soundly till the morning in spite of the mos-
quitoes who were humming furiously above us.

On the 22nd May we were stirring at daybreak ; and
who would not have been so, after sleeping in the open
air in a southern climate, surrounded by mosquitoes,
which by the first glimmer of light -collect all their
forces to attack more ferociously than ever? We
roused the ferryman, who told us of an unexpected
swamp, which it would be impossible for us to get
through with such a weight of baggage. I had heard
the word impossible too often, to have much respect for
it, it being frequently applied to things that afterwards
were proved to be very possible; however, a swamp

130 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR AVEST.

ten miles long did not sound pleasant. "\Ye had to beg
hard and pay high for a morsel of bread to quiet our
appetite, the man declaring that he had nothing else for
himself.

Blackfish lake is a desolate, melancholy-looking,
coffee-colored piece of water, several miles long, and
some hundreds of yards wide, and its gloom is in-
creased by overhanging cypresses. It is said to be
full of snakes and other reptiles. Arrived on the
opposite side, we had not to look out long for the
swamp. It was straight before our eyes. In point of
fact, the whole land we had passed through was very
like a swamp, but hitherto there had been a broad
chaussee, running in a direct line through the State of
Arkansas, from east to west, from Memphis, in Ten-
nessee, to Batesville ; but on the west bank of Black-
fish lake it tVas not yet cut through the forest, nor
raised above the swamp. We were now to enter
the recesses of the primeval forest. And what a forest !
and what a journey ! A load of from sixty to seventy
pounds on our shoulders, soft mud under our feet, the
heat of the sun increasing, the swamp giving out a hot
suffocating air ! Such was our enviable position. We
had hardly worked our way for a quarter of a mile
through mud and thorns, when we were obliged to sit
down and rest ; but rest was also a torment ; there was
not a breath of wind to refresh us, and the moment we
stopped millions of mosquitoes attacked us. The water
was lukewarm, and we had to suck it up from pools
covered with slime. If we left the regular path, which
was the most muddy, and tried a short cut through the
wood, we were caught at every step by the thorns and

A PICNIC IN THE WOODS. 131

creepers, which in many places were impenetrable. In
spite of all, we were not discouraged, but went on as
Avell as we could, floundering and resting alternately.
After a time, while taking a short repose, we heard
the strokes of an axe — a heavenly sound to our ears.
"We laid aside our burdens, and Ulil followed the
direction of the sound, to discover what unfortunate
child of man was thinking of settling in such a swamp.
He soon came back, and called to me to take up the
packages and come along, for he had found some
charming people ; and we both worked our way
through the ahnost impervious thicket to these stran-
gers.

They were a family from Tennessee, Avho had halted
to dine. The group consisted of the father, a large,
strong built man, upon whom time was just beginning
to set his wrinkles, his wife, also formed on a large
scale, two sons, of fifteen and ten, and three daughters,
from twelve to seven. A horse and pair of oxen were
feeding quietly near them, and two large dogs were hid
under the two carts, one of which was for baggage, the
other, rather lighter, for the wife and children. The
dogs, anxiously looking out for their food, advanced as
near as their ropes would allow to the table-cloth,
which was spread out on a dry place. Maize-bread and
butter, pork, cheese, and coffee were the ingredients of
the meal; and, after a kindly greeting, and a hearty
invitation from the seniors, we were soon all in our
places, in Turkish attitudes, round the table-cloth.
The children had kindled fires all round us, laying on
rotten wood, there being no scarcity of it, so that we
were sheltered by a thick smoke, which these tor-

132 "WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR "WEST.

meiiting demons cannot bear. Thus we were left in
tolerable repose.

Ulil and I did not disgrace our German lineage in
regard to the provisions, and after the greater part of
them had disappeared, we set off again on our journey,
taking a cordial farewell of our hospitable friends ; and
footmarks, of from eighteen inches to two feet deep
impressed in the soft mud, and rapidly filling with
water, soon showed that two pair of German boots had
passed that way. At length, when the sun had de-
scended below the tops of the trees, and was glowing
like a fiery red ball above the horizon, after the
greatest exertions, we approached the termination of
our amphibious walk. The forest opened a little, and
we caught sight of a block-house standing on dry
ground. T\"e decided on making a short stay here at
all events, to recover from our fatigue, and to clean
and wash our clothes.

On the next morning I awoke with an excessive
itching in my face and right shoulder, and found, to my
no slight astonishment, that both parts were much
swelled, and covered with small blisters. An Ameri-
can, who dwelt a few hundred paces from the house,
and who probably came to see us and pick up any news,
soon cleared up the mystery. A great many of the
creepers and shrubs in the swamps have a milk-white
sap, which is poisonous, and it is likely that I may
have broken some of them, and my face and shoulder
may have been smeared wdth this sap. Wet and cold
applications are considered the best cure. I accord-
ingly surrendered myself to such treatment, first rub-
bing my face well w ith pork fat, as an antidote to the

MULE DRIVERS FROM TEXAS. 133

poison. I must have cut a pretty figure with my
swollen, blistered, shining face. Uhl nearly killed him-
self with laughing at me.

In the evening, some mule drivers from Texas came
in, having pitched then' camp not far from the house.
They consisted of three whites, and two Cherokees.
One of the Indians spoke English very well, and I had
a long conversation with him. He had adopted all
the habits of the whites, although he did not seem to
have much love for them. I went to bed late, and
dreamed of Indians and buffalo hunts.

All next day I was obliged to remain quiet, on ac-
count of my swelled face, and was rewarded for my
patience by being nearly well by the evening. As the
baggage we had hitherto carried was too heavy, we
resolved to leave some of it with these people till we
saw what was likely to become of us. We had neither
of us any settled plan. Our mutual wish had only been
freedom and the forest, rightly conjecturing that all the
rest would come of itself.

As on the second day we continued our journey a
great deal lighter, and with renewed strength. After
several miles walk we came to a smithy, where, luckily,
I could get my gun repaired, otherwise I should not
have been able to shoot. This smithy was at a Mr.
Strong's plantation, where the road branches off to Lit-
tle Rock, and to Batesville. We were undecided which
to take, when we were told that we should find much
more game on the road to Batesville. This settled
the point. We waited till the cool of the evening to
resume our march. While the smith was repairing
my gun, the Tennessee man, with his family, arrived
12

134 "WILD SPORTS IN THE FAK WEST.

from the marsh. He had been three days and three
nights coming the ten miles, and even noAv it is a riddle
to me liow he managed it.

On the evening of the 26th of May, after a rich feast
on the quantities of blackberries which grew by the
way, we came to a house belonging to a man of the
name of Saint, and decided on staying there to sleep ;
we found a better set of people than we had expected,
and engaged in a long conversation Avith our host.
After supper, to our no small horror we learnt that
unless we could swim twenty-eight miles, further pro-
gress was not to be thought of, as the whole swamp
between tliis and 'Wliite river was under water. Uhl
and I looked at each other, with long faces, as much
as to say, " quid faciamus nos ; " but Saint was good
enough to invite us to stay with him till the swamp
had somewhat dried up, which at least would be about
the middle of July ; meantime we could go out shoot-
ing, and the game we brought home would well repay
him for all our expenses.

This, of course, was grist to our mill, and we soon
made ourselves at home. On the following morning,
almost before we were settled, we went to the forest
with our host, a keen sportsman, to look for bears,
taking seven dogs with us. And what a country he
took us to ! Swamps and thorns, creepers, wild vines,
fallen trees, half or entirely rotted, deep and muddy
w^ater-courses, bushes so thick that you could hardly
stick a knife into them, and, to complete the enjoyment,
clouds of mosquitoes and gnats, not to mention snakes
lying about on the edges of the water-courses ; such is
the aboriginal American forest, and in such a scene we
commenced our sport.

A SWIMMING-RACE WITH THE DOGS. 135

After an hour or two, the dogs started a young bear,
and followed him in full cry, but had not gone far
when they were stopped by the river I'Anguille, or, as
they call it here, the Langee ; neither coaxing nor
threats could induce them to take to the water, and Saint
thought that if one of us swam over, the dogs would
follow, and that we should find the trail again on the
other side. Saint could not swim, Uhl would not : so
I threw off my clothes, and plunged in. The river,
which in summer is very shallow, and hardly seems to
flow, was now much swollen, and had overflowed its
banks. As soon as I had swam some distance. Saint
began to cheer on the dogs, and I soon heard them
spring into the water, one after the other, and follow
me. I was swimming slowly with long strokes, and
had reached about the middle of the river, M^hen I
heard two of the dogs close behind me, while Saint was
still cheering them on from the bank, as if to attack a
bear. The two near me Avere barking furiously, and
the thought flashed upon me : su})pose they were to
seize me ? If only one had attacked me, all the rest
would have joined, and as they were strangers to me,
if they had fallen upon me I should have had no
chance : so I began to strike out as hard and as fast
as I could to reach the shore. Exerting myself for my
life, I came nearer and nearer the bank, but the
excited dogs swam faster still, and I heard the snorting
, of one of them close to me when I felt the ground : in
an instant I and the dogs were both on shore. The
danger was over now, and they began to hunt ; but
either the bear had followed the stream, and landed
lower down, or the ground was too wet for the scent ;

136 WILD SPORTS IX TnE FAR WEST.

in short, we could not find the traih We tried our
luck at another place, with no more success, and re-
turned home towards evening quite tired and out of
spirits.

Our hosts to all appearance were very religious
people, and we had prayers every evening. This
evening we went early to bed, being all very tired, so
that, as yet, I hardly had time to take much notice of
the people we were to live with. We had to be
awakened for breakfast ; afterwards we strolled about
the house and fields to realize our situation. Saint was
a man of about forty, with a bright clear eye, and open
brow ; you were captivated by him at the very first
sight. His wife, an Irishwoman, treated us very civilly
and kindly, and proved to be an excellent manager.
They had no children ; but there was another person
in the house, who demands a more particular descrip-
tion. This was a duodecimo Irish shoemaker, or, as
he always insisted — schoolmaster, for such, by his own
account, was his former occupation, though now he made
shoes. Saint had bought a quantity of leather, and the
little Irishman was to work it up, receiving a certain
monthly sum. He had red hair, was pock-marked,
stood about five feet, but was stout and strongly built,
and may have been about fifty years old. Pie spoke
unwillingly about his age, wishing to pass for much
younger. Saint, who loved to joke with him, told us,
Avitli a smile, that on Sunday Ave should see him in his
best, when he would go to pay his court to a young
widow in the neighborhood.

The house was built of logs, roughly cut. It con-
sisted of two ordinary houses, under one roof, with a

saint's woodland farm. 137

passage between them open to north and south, a nice
cool place to eat or sleep in during summer. Like nW
block-houses of this sort, it was roofed with rough four-
feet planks ; there were no windows, but in each house
a good fireplace of clay. A field of about five acres
Avas in front of tlie house, planted with Indian corn,
excepting a small portion which was planted with
wheat. Southwest from the house stood the stable,
which S. was obliged to build, because he gave " good
accommodation to man and horse ; " otherwise it is not
much the custom in Arkansas to trouble one's self
about stables. A place, called a "lot," with a high
fence, is used for the horses, hollowed trees serving
for mangers. Near at hand was a smaller log-house
for the store of Indian corn, and a couple of hundred
paces further was a mill which S. had built to grind
such corn as he wanted for his own use, and which was
worked by one horse.

About a quarter of a mile from the house, through
the wood, there was another field of about five acres,
also sown with maize. The river FAnguille flowed
close in the rear of the house ; another small building
at the back of the dwellins: was used as a smokinfi^
house ; near it was a well about thirty-two feet deep.

We went out shooting and wandering through the
woods all day long, though with little sport. Uhl had
had better luck than I, so being firmly resolved to
bring home something, I had been straying in the forest
from daybreak, when at last I saw a deer. Firing too
eagerly I took bad aim, and he fled with long bounds
to the thicket; but red marks on the leaves showed
that he Avas hit. I followed the trail ; — but Avithout a
12*

138 AVILD SPOUTS IX THE FAR AVEST.

dog it Avas slow Avork, and then tlie increasing darkness
convinced me of the impossibihty of finding eitlier the
deer or the Avaj back to the house, being as yet too
unacquainted Avith the country to be able to find my
Avay by the stars.

I Avas soon comfortably stretched by a blazing fire,
and should liaA'C done A-ery Avell, but for the stomach,
that constant tormentor, Avho kept reminding me that
he had had no Avork to do since the morning, except to
consume a fcAv insignificant gi-een sassafras leaA'es. The
night Avas beautiful, the stars shining brilliantly, and the
Aveather fortunately too cool for mosquitoes. I soon
slept quietly and comfortably till about midnight, Avhen
I Avas aAvakened by the disagreeable howling of the
Avoh'es ; it seemed as if they had all assembled to
giA'e me a serenade ; if so, the poor beasts had a A^ery
ungrateful audience. During the interval, the sharp
roar of a panther Avas heard rather too close to my lair.
Such a neighbor was by no means desirable or trust-
Avorthy; so I fired in the direction Avhence 1 heard
the sound, and he flew back again to the jungle. I
noAV made up my fire afresh, and Avas soon asleep for
the second time.

When I awoke the sun AA\as peeping through the
branches. Shaking my limbs, Avhich Avere stiff Avith
cold, I commenced my journey homewards, endeavoring
to shorten tlie Avay by thoughts of a good Avarm
.breakfast.

S. had for some days talked of cutting doAvn a tree,
in Avhich he had discovered a swarm of Avild bees, but
something had always happened to hinder it ; however,
on the first of June Ave set off at daybreak on our long

BEE-HUNTING WILD HONEY. 139

talked of excursion, the party being increased by S.'s
brother-in-law. The two Americans took axes, while
Uhl and I carried pails to hold the honey we expected
to find. We proceeded to a little prairie about three
miles off, and soon found the tree, which S. had dis-
covered and marked. It is a backwoods custom, when
any one finds a tree with wild bees, and has not time
or inclination to cut it down at once, to cut his name,
or if he cannot write, as was the case with S., to make
his mark on it, and if any one else finds the tree and
sees the mark, he goes on his way, leaving it to the
first finder.

S.'s tree was a decayed red oak, on the verge of the
little prairie. The two axes, wielded by powerful and
skilful arms, soon made the old tree totter, and then
fall with a crash. In the mean time I had lighted a
fire by S.'s directions, laid it on a piece of bark, and
covered it with rotten wood, so that it gave out a
thick black smoke. As soon as the tree was down, I
held this under the opening where the bees went in and
out: stupefied by the smoke, they flew high into the
air, never attempting to sting, though several flew about
me, and lighted on my clothes. Our trouble did not
go unrewarded ; we found a pretty thick bough full of
honey, of which we ate as much as we wished, carrying
home the rest.

S. seemed to be pleased with us, for he asked us to
remain with him to look after his cattle, of which he
had about two hundred head running loose in the
woods ; we might take our rifles and shoot at the same
time. As this seemed to suit our plans, we took the
subject into serious consideration, and on Monday,

140 WILD SPOKTS IX THE FAR WEST.

June 3rd, made the following compact. "We agreed to
undertake the charge of S.'s cattle, to give them salt
hi the httle prairie from time to time, -where a tent ^vas
to be pitched for us, and Avhither we were frequently
to drive them, to accustom them to it. We were to
receive one-third of the produce, namely: every third
calf, as our property. S. bound himself to provide us
with pork, flour, coffee, sugar, and salt ; also, as soon as
he had time, to build a small house for us in place of the
tent. So far so good ; but the final clause was a jewel,
and the Irish schoolmaster who drew up the bond
was not a little vain of his performance. It stated :
" Neither of the undersigned parties is bound by this
contract, if any one of them should think that he could
do better elsewhere." The important document was
signed by both parties, S. making a cross, and then it
was carefully secured in S.'s strong box, the Irishman
putting the copy in his pocket, probably to 'show the
widow this specimen of his abilities. We shouldered
our rifles, and trotted off to reconnoitre our new
province.

Uhl and I having separated, I shot a young deer,
but as it was too heavy to carry, I let it lie, and took
a direct line towards home, marking the trees with my
tomahawk as I went along. Suddenly a hen turkey
flew up ; before I could fire she was lost in the bushes,
but right under my feet lay nine beautiful eggs, in a
nest made of dry grass. I sat doAvn to await the
return of the hen, but as she did not choose to make
her appearance, I took up the eggs and carried tliem
home, intending to rear them ; then I went with a
horse to pick up my deer.

SEARCHING FOR HORSES. 141

Having signed the agreement with S., and decided
on remaining here some time, it was necessary to fetch
our things, which we had left at Blackfish lake, and
S. kindly offered us one of his horses for the purpose ;
but the horses were running wild in the woods, and
had to be caught. Uhl and I set off to catch one,
taking different directions ; we searched the whole day
without seeing a single trail, and our endeavors on
the following day were just as unfortunate. At first
we hunted together, but afterwards again separated.
I went pacing along one of the paths that cross the
wood in all directions, but soon found that it was only
a deer or cow path ; I left it, and pushed on in a
straight direction, careless as to the line of country, so
that I could only fall in with a horse ; and as to the
night, sleeping under the green trees was more agree-
able than in a close room. The idea that I might lose
myself never occurred to me. At length, however, as
I advanced, the scenery assumed a different character
to that in S.'s neighborhood. It was no longer
marshy, but the ground was undulating, and I once
more saw fir-trees, which I had lately so much longed
for. Contrary to my expectations, I arrived at a farm
before dark, but could obtain no information about the
horses — no one had seen any — and on my asking how
far I was from S.'s farm, I received the agreeable
answer, " At least eleven miles ; " rather too far for an
evening's walk — so the good folks kindly asked me to
pass the night with them. I placed my gun and cap
in a corner, and seated myself with them in the mild
evening air; we struck up an agreeable conversation,
and I fully expected a very pleasant evening; but a

142 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

storm was brewing to disturb its serenity. We had
not long been seated when a tall, ceremonious, respect-
able looking man, buttoned to the chin in a long
brown coat, arrived. lie saluted us rather solemnly,
then seating himself at a short distance, took a little
book from his pocket, turned over the leaves, and,
before I suspected any thing, he thundered out a hymn
with a voice that astounded me. Kot being used to
such a proceeding, I looked first at one then at the
other for some explanation, but they kej)t their eyes
fixed on the ground, looking very solemn all the time.
The voice of the singer became louder and louder. The
good man seemed to have lost the end of his song;
night came on, and it was rather cold — still he kept
on, until at last his voice failed, and he was obliged to
stop. I thought this was all, but more people arrived,
among them some very pretty young women, such as
I never expected to see in the wilderness. The air
being cool and damp, we entered the house, which was
set out with benches, and looked like a school-room.
The case was clear — I had stumbled on a Methodist
meeting, and must take the consequences. The singing
and praying lasted several hours, and I Avas heartily
tired of it, as it did not agree witli my habits and
feelings.

With the first streaks of red I commenced my
journey homewards, and arrived about noon, to find
that Uhl, Avith more luck than myself, had already
caught a horse.

On the 8th of June I rode off to Blackfish lake
swamp, to bring away the things we had left at Hamil-
ton's. Just as I entered the house, Mrs. Hamilton

DANCING FOR A DINNER. 143

had a robust little fellow in front of her, a stepson, I
believe, about three or four years old, and told him to
jump about the room for a piece of cake she held in
her hand. He began to jump, and looked very comical
as he bobbed up and down like a cork. AThen he
thought he had earned his cake, he came to ask for it,
but was put off with the word " more." lie quietly
went back to his place, and recommenced his exercise,
but had lost the cheerful expression of his countenance
— he was doing it as a duty. After dancing for some
time longer, he came again for his cake, in the firai
belief that this time he was sure of it, but a " more
yet " made him start. He begged, protested, cried —
all in vain ; " more yet," said his inexorable tormentor,
holding the cake up for him to jump at. Tears ran
down the poor little fellow's cheeks, and he jumped
and jumped, and sobbed, and wiped his eyes with his
sleeve. It was impossible to keep one's countenance
any longer, and as I cried with laugliing, he laughed
through his tears. He then received the cake he had
so well danced for, and jumped once more from free
will, out of doors with it.

I packed all things on the horse, and set out on my
return the same evening. On the following morning
we began to build our house ; we pulled down an old
block-house, standing about three miles from the site
we had chosen, and carted the logs to our prairie,
where we could easily rebuild it. In the backwoods
building is a very simple art. In the first place, small
trees of oak, or some other good wood, are felled and
cut to the requisite length. Next comes the founda-
tion : two of the largest trunks are laid parallel to each

144: WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR A7EST.

other on the ground at the proper distance, two others
are laid across their ends to form the square, and fitted
into each other with notches, which makes the build-
ing all the firmer, and closes the crevices. In this
way the walls are run up, but without any entrance.
Ours being an old house rebuilt, the logs all fitted each
other, and door and chimney were already cut, which, in
other cases, has to be done with the axe after the walls
are up. The roof is then laid, and, Swiss fashion, has
to be secured with weights, to prevent its being blown
away ; but wood being more plentiful here than stone,
heavy poles, called weight-poles, or young trees are
used instead.

Although the heat was oppressive, our work went on
rapidly, and we soon had the house up all but the
chimney, which, it being summer, was not so necessary.
Besides, dabbling with moist clay being dirty and dis-
agreeable work, the chimney is generally left until it is
too cold to do without it. June 10th, we began our
fence, so that the cattle might not walk into the house,
and also to secure the calves, that the cows might come
to be milked.

The fences are formed of split logs of black or red
oak, or liickory, ten or eleven feet long, and four or five
inches thick, these Avoods splitting easily ; the fences
are laid zigzag, and carried to a height that no
horse, much less a cow, can jump over. This was hard
work, and the heat oppressive ; I felt very feverish, and
had a severe headache, but as the work could not go on
without me, I would not hang back. On a sudden
eveiy thing began to dance before my eyes, then all was
dark, and I fell fainting to the ground. I soon re-

AGUE MY METHODIST FRIEND. 145

covered, and lay for a short time in the shade of a tree,
then continued my work till evening. Next day S.
wanted to get in his wheat, and as I felt quite well
again, we w^ent to help him ; I had hardly been half an
hour at work, when, in spite of the burning heat, I felt
a pecuHar shivering and severe headache, while my
lips and nails turned blue ; in short, there was no doubt
I had the ague. I went immediately to bed, and by
noon w^as somewhat better. S. would not allow me to
return to our hut, but insisted on my staying with them
till my recovery, that I might always receive assistance.
The fits returned on the second and third days, making
me feel very weak and weary.

On the third day, a Saturday, at about two in the
afternoon, I felt better, and w^ent to the mill, where S.
was at work, meaning to help him and take a little
exercise, when I saw two strangers, a man and a woman,
riding along the road. With horror, I recognized in the
countenance of the man the Methodist preacher who had
so tormented me some days before. It was not without
reason that I dreaded a repetition of the scene. He
rode past me with an important and expressive coun-
tenance, w^hich seemed to say : " Here I am again you
see, make yourself happy. Uhl, to whom I had given
a description of the former meeting, tried to slip off with
me to the hut, but we were discovered, and invited to
attend. The difference between tliis and the former
meeting was that we had a sermon, in the course of
which two women in succession jumped about in a
pitiable state of excitement.

About noon next day, tlie dogs ran round and round
the field, always stopping at one particular place. S.
13

146 WILD SrORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

said there must be a fox there. I hastened to get a
shot at him, but without success, till suddenly, by the
barking of the dogs, I knew that Reynard must have
come to a stop, and supposed him to have run to earth ;
but what was my surprise on finding him perched on a
tree, from which he was seriously contemplating the furi- .
ous dogs beneath him ! I was so astonished that at first I
did not fire. When I did so, he remained hanging be-
tween the two branches where he had squeezed himself,
which was all the better for his skin, as the dogs would
have spoiled it. I afterwards learnt that the foxes here
always climb a tree, when driven to the last, but they
can only manage it with small trees, nor can they get
higher than ten or twelve feet; in the swamps they
generally live in the hollows of trees.

On returning to the house I found the little school-
master in the height of his glory. He was dressed all
in white ; — white trousers, a snow white shirt and
jacket, white neckcloth, a light-colored, almost white,
straw hat, and light tanned shoes, also almost white. To
all this garb of innocence, the red hair, red face, redder
nose, and bluish red hands, offered a striking contrast ;
he seemed to be well satisfied with himself, stepped
carefully over the fence, and was soon lost, like a sun-
beam, in a dark forest.

On the 20th June we finished our fence. On the
21st we began the floor of our house, and on the 22nd
the grand work was all complete. In the afternoon
we went to S.'s to fetch our things, and towards even-
ing, as it was very warm, I plunged into the cool
stream flowing past the back of the house, and had to
pay for it severely on the following day by a return of

DUCK-SHOOTING SNAKES IN THE SWAMPS. 147

ague. Perhaps a rather too copious indulgence in
blackl)erries, which abounded here, may have somewhat
contributed to this resuh. Be the cause ^^hat it may,
the attacks were repeated, and so severely that I was
confined to the house, when S., his brother-in-law, and'
Uhl rode away for a buffalo hunt. I jjassed two tedious
days in bed, but on the third, feeling better, I took my
rifle, and lounged along the banks of the river, to try and
pick up a couple of young wild ducks, which were just
in season. In the course of half an hour I had killed
three, and was on my way home, feeling much fatigued,
when immediately before me, almost under my feet, I
perceived a mocassin snake, ready to attack me, with
its head drawn back, and its tongue darting out. These
snakes are very venomous; so jumping back, by no
means leisurely, I seized a long stick, and belabored
him with it till he could do no harm. This deep moist
ground is full of venomous snakes ; but it is very rarely
that any person is bitten, because they are shy, and
always try to escape when any one approaches.

On my return I found a fresh bear's trail very near
the house. Bruin had crossed the river since I had
passed, but the buffalo hunters had taken all the dogs ;
and I was too Aveak to follow him alone. They re-
turned in the evening without having seen any buffa-
loes, thouglythey had crossed their trail. Uhl had shot
a deer or two, which was all their booty.

On the 2nd July we rode off to a farm belonging to
a Mr. Dunn, about eleven miles off, to drive home some
cattle that S. had bought. We did not arrive till dusk,
and found Mr. Dunn at home ; he was a fat man with
a copper-colored nose, that seemed to do no dishonor

148 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

to the sign before his door ; and a bottle of whiskey soon
glittered on the table. S. drank no spirits, so only just
tasted it once : we did not follow his example, but drank
and laughed and talked till late in the night.

I was much surprised next morning by the view
from Dunn's house. AVe were again amongst the hills,
the house standing on the eastern spur, which stretches
out towards the swamps like a peninsula. The thick
white fog, through which not a tree was visible, north,
south, or east, looked like the sea, and I was prompted
to look out for a sail ; the glowing red ball of the sun
as he worked his way through it, cast a roseate hue
over all. As the sun rose higher the fog began to dis-
perse, and the tips of the highest trees appeared. As
the fog vanished, it gave place to a boundless extent of
green, unbroken by any rise, save that on which we
stood. I remained for a long time in silent admiration
of the fascinating sight.

After breakfast we collected our animals, and drove
them towards home, through thorns, creepers, morasses,
cane brakes, streams, and woods. Driving a number of
cattle, which have never before been under the hand of
man, is about as hard work as one can imagine, and a
man Avho never swore in his life would be sure to
learn it then. But cattle-driving was now our business,
and we followed it up with a will. After immense
difficulty, we succeeded in bringing them all Avithin the
fence in our prairie, secured them with the lasso, branded
them with Saint's mark, and left them to themselves till
the morning. At dark we spread my buffalo skin on
the ground, covered ourselves with Uhl's blanket, and
were soon fast asleep.

OUR FARMING ARRANGEMENTS. 149

By this time we began to feel a little more com-
fortable, having made a couple of rough benches, and
fixed some shelves to hold our things; but as our
utensils were not very numerous, cooking was one of
our chief difficulties. There was, however, no want of
food, for Saint supplied so plentifully.

We kept in all the calves of the new herd, leaving
the cows at liberty, as they never strayed very far
from their young. AYe were also obliged to confine
some of the wildest, but the rest soon accustomed
themselves to the prairie, particularly as Ave sprinkled
salt before them, of which they are passionately fond.
Indeed we gave it to all the cattle every evening, which
kept them from straying far away. In the daytime
we ranged the woods with our rifles.

13*

CHAPTER VI.

A fakmer's life in the woods.

(continued.)

My comrade attacked by ague — Removal to a new locality — Snakes
in the woods — Grinding corn — " Lying " Bahrens — Repeated
attacks of ague — Sassafras tree — " An epileptic breakfast " —
Night in the forest — The panther — Visit to Hilger — Shooting
by torchlight — A distillery — A backwoods politician — Clear-
ings— Xew farm — Illness, and want of medical aid — Negro
children — Two American speculators — Bad characters in Ar-
kansas — Removal to a new form at Oiltrove bottom — "White
river — A gallant buffalo hunter — Home-sickness — Unhealthy
swamps — Bear-hunting in companies.

On the 8tli of July, I had killed a fown. The flesh
"was veiy delicate, and we had made a hearty feast on
it, when Uhl complained of headache and sickness,
and though he had frequently boasted of his sound
constitution, and maintained that he should never be
ill, he began to feel some doubts on the subject. Next
day he was very ill, and on the third, about noon, his
sickness declared itself as a regular attack of ague. I
did all I could to relieve him, but in our loneliness we
had little to comfort an invalid. Towards evening he
got better, and longed for some blackberries. I took
a tin dish, and Avent to a place about eighty paces
from our house, where they grew in quantities ; there
had formerly been a field here, and the thorns gre^Y
thick about the overthrown trees. I was plucking
(150)

A WOLF WE SHIFT OUR QUARTERS. 151

some of the ripest berries from one of the largest
bushes, in which I had once or twice heard something
move ; but as all the cows and calves were near me,
and I supposed it proceeded from some of them, I had
not taken much notice of the fact, when suddenly the
bush opened, and a large, powerful wolf walked delib-
erately forth ; he looked steadily at me, and seemed
inclined to declare war. I raised my foot to give him
a kick with my heavy fisherman's boot, for I had no
weapon; but he seemed to think better of it, and
walked away slowly towards the jungle. I hastened
to the house, seized my rifle, and followed his trail ;
but too late, for he had taken to flight.

July 11th. Uhl was so far recovered as to be able to
go to Saint's, where he could receive better care, and
for some time I was alone in my hermitage. I felt
very comfortable, having no cares or troubles, paid
attention to my charge, supplied them plentifully with
salt, and constantly went out shooting, bringing home
young turkeys, which were just large enough to be
eaten. In the evening, when all was still, I sat in front
of the house, by a blazing fire, playing my zither, and
was very happy without seeing a human face.

On July 17th I went to Saint's to see Uhl, and to get
some flour and coffee. Uhl was better, and free from
fever, but weak. I did not return, as Saint required
my assistance. Saint then proposed that, for the summer
and autumn, we should move further west, and pitch
our camp near Brushy lake, about six miles from
Saint's, where there was better pasture, so that when
once the cattle had been driven there, they would not
be likely to stray. I was pleased with the plan, as

152 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

there was more game there, and we only waited Uhl's
recovery to put it in execution.

On July 22ud Uhl felt tolerably well, so we started in
company with a long Kentuckyman, who happened to
be there, to have a look at the country, and to fix on a
place for our tent. As it was late in the afternoon when
we started, it was almost dark when we arrived. We
'vj'ere deceived in our expectations of finding game, and
had to go hungry to sleep, having brought no pro-
visions with us, except a morsel of bread and a couple
of onions. "We had made sure of killing a deer before
dark, but had reckoned without our host. It was a
beautiful night, mosquitoes excepted ; we had nothing
to wish for beyond a good supper. A bright fire was
soon blazing up, for notwithstanding the heat of the
days the nights were cold.

Our American friend, Jim by name, was very much
afraid of snakes, which abounded in this neighborhood.
He could not rest quiet, and repeated a number of
stories of this person or that having been bitten by
snakes in the night. I let him talk on, while I made
preparations to go to sleep.

Half asleep, I still heard the snake stories, till, over-
powered by fatigue, Morpheus took me softly in his
anus ; but there were snakes hanging about me, and
some of them grew to an immense size, till at last it
seemed as if a very wicked-looking one came straight
towards me, crawled under my left knee, and there
coiled himself down — yet he kept fidgeting as if he
could not make himself quite comfortable. I awoke,
and lay for a moment quite still ; Jim was yet telling
his snake stories to Uhl, who was listening attentively,

FALSE ALARM SQUIRREL FOR BREAKFAST. 153

when I positively felt something move under my knee,
and hearing of nothing else, thinking of nothing else,
of course I supposed it must be a snake. I dared not
raise myself slowly for fear of pressing on the snalve,
when he would certainly have bitten me. I sprang up
as quickly as I could, and at once burst away from my
couch : my two comrades, with their brains full of all
sorts of monsters, no sooner saw me start up so sud-
denly, than they followed my example, as if they had
been fired from a gun, and we looked at each other in
dismay.

I examined the place where I supposed the snake to
be, and found a little twig of about eight or nine inches
growing out of the ground, and which had been under
my knee. We all laughed heartily at our fright, and
were soon fast asleep.

Our appetites next morning were very sharp. In
the course of a couple of hours Jim shot a squirrel,
which afforded but a meagre breakfast for three people.
After breakfast we tried again, and with better success
on my part, for, happening to espy a deer in the jungle,
I knocked him over, and we returned to S.'s well laden
with venison. Although we had found several spots
suitable for our tent, we had not fixed on any one in
particular, and we were well pleased with the place
altogether, notwithstanding snakes and mosquitoes.

Hitherto we had always eaten maize bread, because,
although S. could grind wheat, he had no means of
bolting it ; and as it was stacked in the field he decided
on sending it to a mill about fifteen miles distant. The
wheat was in sheaves, but there was neither barn nor
thrashmg floor, neither flail nor winnowing machine.

154 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

nothing to clean it from the straw ; however, we set to
work Arkansas fashion. The weather was bright and
dry, the road before the door as hard as a stone, but
dusty : a space about thirty feet in diameter was fenced
in, and swept as clean as possible ; flie sheaves were
unbound and laid in a circle, every two sheaves with
their ears together, one with the straw to the centre,
the other with the straw outwards ; six horses were
mounted, and ridden round and round, while two men
kept shaking down fresh com ; when it had been well
trodden out, it had to be sifted.

I had probably worked rather too hard, caught
another attack of ague, and was obliged to lie down
till evening, when I felt somewhat better. This even-
ing we were visited by a friend of S.'s, or neighbor,
as he called himself, though living at a distance of
twenty-five miles ; but there was neither house nor
road between the two. He was called Jim Bahrens,
but S. whispered to me that he was nicknamed " lying
Bahrens," and indeed Munchausen "vvould have been
obliged to hide his face before him. He was very
talkative and amusing ; amongst other things, he told
us that he had but a small tract of land, but that it
was the best and most fertile in the whole world ; that
he could grow every thing on it, except corn beans (the
common garden bean), because the corn grows so fast,
that it drags the beans out of the earth. He invited
us to come and see him, telling us that he could kill
as much game in a day as would weigh 1000 pounds
for that he lived among large herds both of buffaloes
and deer. We promised to come, and see all these
wonders.

PRIMITIVE MODE OF WINNOWING CORN. 155

On the 1st of August, Ulil told me that he wished
to go, being tired of this sort of hfe ; and, indeed, I
must allow that I myself Avas rather sick of it. I was
so weak that I could hardly crawl, and saw so many
sickly faces around me, that I could not try to persuade
him to remain. We divided our property, for hitherto
we had had all things in common, and on the same day
he marched off to the west. I had no time to indulge
in sorrowful thoughts, for the ague attacked me again ;
havino; brought some medicine M^ith me from Cincin-
nati, I took an emetic, and then a dose of quinuie,
which succeeded in subduing it.

On August 3rd, I felt better, and decided in the after-
noon on driving to the mill ; but the grain had first to
be cleaned. This, without a machine, was rather a
difficult matter, but the sharp Americans know how
to manage it. Two of the stoutest fellows hold a
blanket by the four corners ; a third stands on a chair
with a sieve full of grain, which he shakes, not too fast,
nor too long at a time, Avhile the two with the blanket
make as much wind as they can, by working it up and
down ; the chaff is blown away, while the wheat falls
to the ground, and is at once gathered into the sack,
though not quite so clean as it would be with our
system.

By two o'clock we were able to start, the cart being
drawn by oxen, and, owing to their slow discreet pace,
it was pitch dark when we arrived at the mill. At so
late an hour grinding was out of the question; we
lighted our fire, broiled our supper, and laid down in
the wagon to sleep till daylight. But the night was
so beautiful, the stars shining so mildly down upon us,

156 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

the wind blowing so soft and warm through the green
branches, that we could not sleep, but went on talking.
Both my companions were Americans, one of them a
strict Methodist, and there was nothing more natural
than that we should talk of the stars, then of heaven,
then of religion ; and as we entertained very different
views, our conversation degenerated into a hot dispute,
which was put an end to about midnight by a heavy
shower of rain, that forced us to seek shelter for our-
selves and our sacks.

Next day we began to grind, and slow work it was,
for we had to turn the mill with our own oxen, who
had no idea of inconveniencing themselves ; however,
we managed to reach home the same night. The
season was now far enough advanced for the leaves of
Indian corn to be stripped and laid up as fodder for
the winter. This plant, in the southern States, w^ill
grow to a height of eleven or twelve feet, and often
bears three cobs : the white sort is the best for bread,
the yellow, containing more sugar, is best for fodder
and for whiskey.

On the loth of August I received a letter from Uhl,
telling me that he was with my old acquaintance, the
Rhenish-Bavarian, at Little Red river, and that he was
going to join TuroAVski in farming. I had too lively a
remembrance of the kindness of old Hilger not to take
a walk to visit him ; therefore, as soon as our fodder
was all in, I prepared for my journey, and early on the
20th of August I shouldered my rifle, and, with one of
S.'s dogs by my side, set off in the hottest season of the
year through the dried swamp. The atmosphere was
sultry in the extreme, but by evening I had reached

" OILTKOVE bottom" PAWPAAV TREES. 157

the bank of White river, a distance of thirty-two miles,
where 1 passed the night.

I was ferried across at daybreak, and had forty
miles to go to reach the Little Red river. The south
bank of the White is one of the most fertile in
America, on Avliich account it rejoices in the name of
"Oiltrove bottom." Some say that the soil is bett^
than that of the American bottom opposite St. Louis ;
and this is my opinion, having seen from sixty to
seventy bushels of maize to the acre, and pumpkins
larger than a man can lift. Trees grow to an enormous
size, some of the trunks of the sassafras trees measuring
from five to six feet in diameter; pawpaw trees are
also very numerous. This last is a small tree bearing
a fruit about four or five inches long, and two to two
and a half inches thick, having a soft sweetish pulp,
with numbers of oily kernels. Generally speaking,
the Americans do not value it much, though some are
very fond of it. It was not at all to my taste ; its
bark is very tough, and is useful for a variety of
purposes, amongst others for ropes. The valley of the
White river is full of these trees, and of the thick
American canes, or reeds, which form impenetrable
thickets, and are the favorite haunts of bears. Just
now this fruit was quite out of favor, and even the
pigs would no longer eat it, when a distiller of the
name of Magnus tried its quahties, and extracted such
a superior spirit from it, that he declared he would
not sell a drop of it, but keep it all for his own
drinking.

Not to lose time, I had set off in the morning
without breakfast, and by the time I had walked six
14

158 ^viLD sroiiTS IX the fah west.

miles had a veiy respectable appetite. Looking out
for a house, I espied one about an hundred paces from
the path. The door Avas open, and the family were just
sitting jdown to breakfast; nothing better could be
wished for. I sprang over the fence, and asked a stout
pale man if I could have something to eat by paying for it ;
on receiving the expected answer I joined the company.
Maize bread, coffee, and bacon, the usual breakfast in
this 2)art of the world, was spread out on the table, and I
was preparing to set to with a Avill, when the man
sitting by my side, after looking at me with a mourn-
ful expression, asked if I had ever in my life seen a
man who was subject to epilepsy. Now sucli a ques-
tion could be nowhere more out of place than when
addressed to a hungry man sitting down to a good
breakfast, so I answered shortly, " Yes, sir." •' Well
then," said he, "don't be surjDrised if you see me
attacked before breakfast is over, for at times it comes
on very suddenly." If any one had told me that the
meat on the table, instead of good pork, was a piece
of salted negro, it could not have taken away my
appetite more effectually than did this grave announce-
ment. I looked at the man in astonishment : he was
very pale, and looked serious, and not at all given to
joking. I looked at his wafe, who was pale almost to
transparency : I looked at the children, who were also
deadly pale, but more dirty than transparent. I
gulped down the cup of coffee in despair, gave the
dog, who probably had not heard the observation, or
cared nothing for it, the bread off my plate, which he
eagerly took, j^aid my quarter dollar, the usual price
for a brealdast, and continued my journey.

"not at home" HARD FARE. 159

For some time I kept the broad road towards Bates-
ville, then struck off to the left through the forest, and,
going tolerably fast, arrived before sunset at the plan-
tation of a Avidow named Pace, where I intended to
pass the night, having still ten miles to go to Little Red
river, and no other house near the path. The roof
reflected the last beams of the setting sun ; my
stomach, which had received notliing but the coffee
since the previous evening, was beginning to rejoice,
when v/e both found ourselves wofully disappointed —
the lady was not at home. The slaves dared not admit
any stranger to sleep there. I should not have cared
about a roof to sleep under, for the nights were fine
and warm, if only I could have obtained something to
eat ; but this could not be, and I was obliged to employ
the fine warm night in wallving on to the place of my
destination.

After the sun had gone down, my light-colored,
well-trodden path was illuminated by the nearly full
moon, for I had left the darker lowlands some hours
ago, and was traversing dry, but not very fruitful, hills,
through the midst of fir-trees. About two miles short
of the river, I gained the crest of the hills that divide
the waters of the White and Little Red rivers, just as
the moon was setting, and my limbs felt as if they
were hung with lead. I had gone seventy miles since
the previous morning without tasting a regular meal,
which was more than flesh and blood could bear for
any length of time, and at last I was so overcome by
fatigue that I sank down exhausted under a tree with-
out even hghting a fire. The poor dog lay by my side,
resting his head on my arm. I might have slept about

160 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

three hours, for the first gleam of approaching day
was lighting up the eastern sky, when I was awakened
by the loud, angry bark of the dog. I jumped up, rifle
in hand, but could see nothing and hear nothing: I
cheered on the dog, but in vain : he would not move
from my side, and only barked louder and louder. I
fancied he might have scented wolves, and was about
to he dovm. again, when I distinctly heard a rustling
in the bush, although there was not a breath of wind.
I approached the place cautiously Avith both barrels
cocked, but could discover nothing ; and as it was still
dark, and no trail percejDtible, I could do no more, so
lay down again for another short sleep, when I sud-
denly heard the short piercing roar of a j^anther, which
those who have once heard never forget. My dog an-
swered it Avith a slight whimper, and crept closer to
my side. I now knew the character of my nightly
visitor; and tolerably sure that, once frightened away,
he vrould be in no hurry to return, I was soon asleep,
and remained so till awakened by the cold air wliich
always precedes the rising sun.

As beautiful a panorama as I had ever beheld lay
sj)read out before me. A sea of forest as far as the
eye could reach, in every shade of color, from the
darkest green to light blue — the Little Red river
winding through the midst of it, while a light downy
mist Jiung about the tips of the trees on its banks. To
the Avest and south-west, the distant mountains cut
sharply in a mass of blue against the lighter morning
sky. Hills overgrown with pines I'ose above the
darker extent of oak, hke islands floating in a deep
green sea, as the sun's rays Avere reflected from the

A PANTIIEU VISIT TO HILGER. ICl

dewy leaves. Light vapor rising here and there from
the valleys, curling over the forest, and vanishing into
air, revealed the site of human habitations hidden in
the woods. I sat long, lost in contemplation of the
lovely scene, and again the question pressed itself upon
me — " Why must I enjoy it alone ? " Then I remem-
bered my visitor of the past night, and, shaldng off all
mournful thoughts, looked out for the trail ; and there,
hardly twenty paces from my bivouac, were the marks
of the large round paws of the beast impressed in the
loose sand. He had probably tried to creep up to me
without being discovered, but the dog had spoiled his
sport.

Refreshed by sleep, I hastened down the hill, found
a canoe, wliich took me over the river, and soon the
well-known friendly abode of the Rhenish-Bavarian
shone invitingly before me. It seemed ahnost as if it
was my home, from which I had been long, long absent,
and that all its dear inmates would rush joyfully for-
ward to embrace me. Alas for our dreams !

Hilger and his wife welcomed me with a hearty
shake of the hand. I soon felt myself at home and
happy with these kind people, and I was not a httle
delighted with the breakfast, which quickly adorned
the table, and wliich did not taste amiss after my long
fast.

Hilger had made vast improvements in his condition
since I was here two years ago. He had bought the land,
had a pair of horses, several head of cattle and pigs, and
lived happy and independent in the circl(3 of his family,
which, in the mean time had been increased by the
birth of a Httle prince. His two sons, of fifteen and
14*

162 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

thirteen, were nice lads, and worked hard with their
father to make their way in the Morld happily and
honestly.

Uhl came in in the afternoon from a place belonging
to Yon G., about two miles off. He looked very pale
and wretched, still suffering severely from ague. I was
delighted to pass a short time here among Germans,
where I could speak my mother-tongue to my heart's
content, and live like a man. Peaches and watermelons
grow here in great abundance, and were a treat which I
had long been deprived of.

On the second day I went down the river to Von
G.'s, who kept the ferry, and in whose house I had
passed the night two years ago, on my first arrival.
He received me kindly and hospitably. He was a
keen sportsman and capital shot, and was extremely
lucky in shooting by torchlight, a practice in which he
had acquired such perfection as often to shoot three or
four deer in a night. On one niglit when I went out
with him, he shot a noble buck, hitting him right in
the heart, although he could not see his body, and
could only judge of his position by the light reflected
from his eyes, and by their movement. I shall
describe this sort of shooting more jDarticularly here-
after. I also attempted it, but without success, from
want of practice, having yet to learn all the fine
touches. "We saw the eyes of three wolves, but they
were frightened by the fire, and would not come
near us.

My health was still far from good ; and being one
day wet through by a sudden shower, I was again
attacked by ague, and obliged to lie fallow for a couple

A GREAT POLITICAL DISCUSSION. 163

of days. As my illness came on at Von G.'s, he
kindly asked me to remain with him till I was better.
I gratefully accepted the invitation, and recovered in a
few days, when I took a hearty farewell of all my kind
friends here, and returned to my marshes.

On the fourth of September I crossed AYhite river,
and went on to Little Cash river, passing a distilleiy,
where they made maize whiskey, but sold very little
of it, as the three young men, who carried on business
in company, drank most of it themselves.

The Cash was so shallow that I crossed it along a
fallen tree, and, as it began to rain, I stopped for the
nisrht at the house of a man named Harriot. We had
finished our simple supper, and were sitting com-
fortably by a blazing fire, which was crackling up the
chimney, when my host, looking at me sideways,
cleared his throat, and brought his chair a little nearer
to mine, then giving the quid of tobacco in his cheek
an extra turn, put to me the unexpected question —
" How's the king of Spain?" I was rather disconcerted
at first, and thought he wanted to make fun of me, but
when I saw by his countenance, that he Avas in down-
right earnest, I replied gravely, that according to the
last accounts which I had received His Majesty was
suffering from a severe cold ; — whereupon he expressed
his sincere regret, and then inquired after all the other
crowned heads in Europe. As we proceeded in our
conversation, I found that by the king of Spain he
meant Gustavus Adolphus : he placed Francis the
Second of Austria on the throne of France ; England
was ruled by Constantino the Great; and Germany
was presented to Louis Philippe. I was much amused

164 AVILD SPOUTS IN THE FAR WEST.

with his wild fantasies. In the meanwhile he kept
paying earnest devotion to the Avhiskey bottle, offering
it to me at the same time. I took a little at first, but
latteriy only put it to my lips for show. The nearer
we approached the bottom of the bottle, the Avilder
danced their majesties across the magic lantern of his
imagination. And as we were taking into considera-
tion the case of Russia, which, by our united endea-
vors, had become a republic, his head began to nod,
and his chin had hardly touched his breast when he
began to snore. His wife, a simple soul, who had been
brought up in the woods, had listened to us with aston-
ishment, and was still holding her mouth open as I
turned to seek my bed.

My dreams transported me to my native land — not
to the royal palaces I had just left, but to my home,
with its much-loved forms. On the 5th of September,
I arrived again at Saint's, and indulged my body with
some necessary repose, shattered as it was by so many
attacks of the ague. On the 9 th, Saint commenced his
Indian corn harvest, which lasted till the 11th, and I
gave my assistance. The cobs were simply broken
away from the stems, and cast into a cart which
carried them to the building prepared to receive them.
When this work was done, we began another — namely,
to clear about half an acre more land, and sow it with
turnips.

The western settlers, and particularly those in the
south-western states, are not very fond of hard work;
in those wild regions they prefer rearing cattle and
shooting, to agriculture, and are loth to undertake
the hard work of felling trees and clearing land. To

CLEARING LAND FOR FIELDS. 165

make the labor as light as possible, yet still to increase
their, fields, they generally clear a small space every
autumn, and ploughing it very slightly, sow it with tur-
nips, which answer best for new ground. Next year it
is fenced in and added to the field.

When about to make a clearing, the American looks
out for the largest and straightest oaks, which he fells,
and sphts into poles, from ten to twelve feet long, for
fencing. When he thinks he has enough for this pur-
pose, the rest is cut up and piled ; next, the trees
which have a diameter of eighteen inches and under,
are felled, at about half a yard from the ground, and
cut into lengths, while the larger trees are girdled all
round with the axe, and very soon die. The shrubs
and bushes are then rooted up with a heavy hoe, and,
with the help of the neighbors who are invited for
the purpose, the whole, except the poles for the fence,
is rolled into a heap and set on fire.

As soon as the land is cleared of all that can be
easily removed it is fenced in and ploughed. This last
work is very severe, and gives the ploughman and
cattle many a rough shake, as the ploughshare, catching
in the roots, has constantly to be lifted out of the
ground, or to be moved out of the way of the standing
stumps. These stumps give the fields a very extraor-
dinary appearance ; it takes from six to ten years before
they rot away entirely. It sometimes happens that the
trees killed by girdhng are blown down amongst the
growing crops, and the settler has a great deal of
trouble in removing them.

The land about Saint's farm, when not inundated,
was yerj fertile, and required little labor. It produced

166 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

splendid oaks, black and white hickory, and sassafras,
which last, though covering the land with bushes,
often grows to a large tree. Creepers of all sorts
abounded in the woods, amongst which were three
sorts of wild vines, the first producing a purple summer
grape, which ripens in July, and resembles the culti-
vated grape, except in being smaller and somewhat
sour; the second, winter grapes, also dark, and not
ripe till they have been touched by the frost, — jjroperly
speaking it is not a grape, and the berry is more like a
currant ; last and best are the muscadines. These do not
grow in bunches, but more hke cherries, four or five on
a stem ; they are purple, with a thick skin, and a very
agreeable taste, but if indulged in too freely, they are
said to produce ague, an opinion in which I agree.
Indeed, some of my attacks must be laid to their
account ; quantities of muscadines grew where we
w^ere at work, and I ate a great many of them. They
ripen in September, and when they fall, they are
gi'cedily sought for by pigs, bears, opossums, raccoons,
and turkeys.

As w^e had had hard work for some days, I resolved
on taking a holiday, and riding to the gunsmith's, about
twelve miles off, to get some repairs to my rifle. When
I awoke in the morning, I had a dreadful head-ache,
but I got up, and mounted the horse, hoping to drive
away the pain with the fresh morning air. I had
hardly gone a mile, when I was seized with such a
giddiness, that I could with difficulty keep my seat.
I galloped back as fast as possible, and crept shivering
under my bufialo-skin, but the ague crept in with me
and kept me there all that day and night. The next

AGUE PKOMPT BURIAL IN THE SWAMPS. 1G7

morning I was eo much worse, that I thought my hist
hour was approaching. I took one of the emetics I
had brought with me from Cincinnati, but without effect ;
the fever changed from cold to hot, and increased
every hour. On the nights of the IGth and 17th of
September, I was deHrious ; what I may have said I
know not, as they tokl me that I spoke German.

Saint could not procure a doctor. The nearest lived
twenty miles off, and was seldom at home : this prob-
ably saved my life, for had I fallen into the hands of
one of these American quacks, I might have prepared
for my last journey. Saint happened to have some pills
in the house, made by J. Sappington, and gave me one.
Whether it was from the pill, or my own good constitu-
tion, I was better on the 18th, and could move about
the house, and enjoy a little food, after my four days'
fast ; I was very weak for a long time. I must ever
remember with gratitude the kind interest with which
these worthy Americans attended and nursed the poor
stranger.

It was by no means agreeable to remain ill in the
swamps, having shortly before heard accounts of burials,
which left it out of all doubt that some of the poor
creatures supposed to be dead had been buried alive.
Mrs. S. spoke of one case in particular, on the St. Fran-
cis river, where the ground was so wet and swampy,
that the man's comrades, for they were out on a shoot-
ing excursion, put the body into a canoe, and brought it
down to the place where the Saints then lived, and
where the land was dry. On account of the greater
heat in the southern States, they do not stand on so
much ceremony with a dead body, as is the case in the

1G8 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR ^YEST.

north: so, as soon as they could after hinding, they
placed it in a grave, which they dug with the assistance
of the inhabitants of the place. Mrs. S. assured me
that she had never seen such a corpse. His limbs were
quite pliant, and almost warm, and his cheeks still red ;
but the cold earth soon covered him, and nothing was
ever said on the subject.

By the 29th September I was pretty well again, and
helped S. to get in the corn from the more distant field ;
but as it came on to rain, I was none the better for it.
On the first October an old man from Tennessee came
with his son to the marshes to buy cattle. We mounted
to drive them together that they might see them, for at
this season, Avhen the grass is everywhere in abundance,
the beasts do not remain in one place, but are one day
here, the next day there. There cannot be a better
place in the world for cattle than the marshes. In sum-
mer the woods are filled with pea- vine as high as the
Imees, as well as with the finest grass, wild oats, and
wild rye ; in the winter the evergreen canebrakes afford
the finest pasture for cattle and deer, and winter grass
grows in many parts of the marshes.

We worked our way through thorns and creepers,
reeds and forests, and almost impenetrable sassafras
bushes, and came back without having seen a single
hom. One of the consequences was that I was again
laid up, but this time I had a companion in the young
stranger, who had thus to pay his footing in the swamps.
On the second day he was so ill that his life was de-
spaired of; but at last he recovered.

On the 7th October I rode for the sake of exercise,
towards a settlement about twelve miles off. It began

A BACKWOODS FAMILY. 169

to get dark when I reached the house of a Mrs. Lane,
who seeing me look so wretched and worn, kindly
invited me to rest there. Mrs. Lane might be held up
as a good specimen of American women. She was
very simply dressed, but in good taste, and every thing
in the house, where she lived with her two daughters,
remarkably pretty girls, was scrupulously neat and
clean.

They listened with pleasure to my accounts of dis-
tant Europe, the sort of life people led there, the luxury
of the rich and the misery of the poor, particularly in
large towns, the general fondness for society, and the
good qualities of many of all stations, high and low ;
they shook their heads and said, " The other side of the
great ocean must be a curious place ! " It was late
when I rolled myself in a blanket before the fire, to
sleep sweetly and calmly during the night. In the
morning my headache returned, and shivering limbs
announced the enemy. There was no time for delay ; I
buckled the girths with trembhng hands, and went in
to take leave : the kind folks had some hot coffee ready
for me, which might delay but could not prevent the
attack. I went on about three miles to the smithy,
and explained my wishes, and then turned the horse's
head toward the house of Mr. Dunn : how I got there
is more than I can say, — I have a faint remembrance
of a piercing headache, and dreadful weakness — that I
often lay upon the horse's neck, when the gentle animal
stood still, and did not move till I could sit upright
again. Dunn's house was about three miles from the
smith's ; on arriving, I slipped off rather than dis-
mounted. The old man soon saw what was the matter
15

170 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

with me, and bringing out a glass of some green liquid,
he made me take a good gulp of it : its excessive bitter-
ness seemed to cut me in two, and I asked with horror
what was the stuff he had given me. He laughed at
the face I made, and told me it was something quite
new and his own invention : it was bear's gall and
whiskey, and he was not a little proud of his medicine.
I slept well during the night, and returned to S.'s next
day. I was very sorry not to have been in better con-
dition on the evening that I passed at Dunn's, for he
was a good old fellow, and very amusing with his dry
stories.

On the evening of the 18th October, S. came back
from Strong's, where he had bought a couple of negro
children, and brought them home on a led horse. One
was a boy about fifteen years old, as black as pitch, and
with a regular Ethiopian cast of countenance ; as lie
crossed the threshold, he examined every one present,
with a rapid glance of his large dark eyes, and then
looked unconcernedly at all the furniture, &c., as if all
that was of no consequence to him. The other was a
little girl of about eleven, who seemed already to have
gone through some hard work. When she saw so
many strange faces, a tear glittered in her eyes : she
had been sold away from her parents, whom she would
probably never more behold, and stood an image of
suppressed grief. The boy Avas from Maryland, had
been taken by sea to New Orleans, and from thence
brought here. He had been told that he had fallen to
a kind master, and his countenance seemed to say that
was enough, happen what might.

On the following Sunday, I had another attack of

SWINDLERS IN ARKANSAS. 171

ague, which I could not shake off for some days. In
the evening two strangers arrived ; and although they
came from opposite directions, they seemed to be well
acquainted, as they frequently conversed in a whisper.
After supper, when we were in the second house, wliere
we all slept, they consulted together about their future
plans, which consisted in no less than their travelling
about the country, and keeping a gaming table, pre-
tending all the while to be unknown to each other, and
so playing into each other's hands : their designs were
to be principally carried on among the Indians, j^articu-
larly the Cherokees, as they thought they were more
easily cheated than the whites. But perhaps the two
scoundrels had not been able to agree, for on the fol-
lowing morning they parted, one of them passing off a
false five-dollar note on 8., who was not a little an-
noyed when he some time Jifterwards made the dis-
covery. I was about to ride in the same direction that
the other fellow took, and when he saw my horse
saddled, he expressed his delight at having the pleasure
of my company ; but I said dryly : " I am not going to
ride with a scoundrel." At the word " scoundrel," he
flew into a rage, and began to feel for his knife or
pistol, on which I quietly brouglit my rifle to my
shoulder : he bit his lip and rode off* at a sharp trot.
After waiting a short time I followed, taking the route
to Cash river to bring home some dogs, for S. and I
saw nothing more of him.

Arkansas was overrun at this time with a number
of bad characters, gamblers, drunkards, thieves, mur-
derers, who all thought that the simple-minded back-
woodsmen were easier to be cheated than the wary

172 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

settlers in the older states. This circumstance had
given so bad a name to Arkansas, that many thought
all its inhabitants went about armed to the teeth with
pistols and bowie-knives; but I have traversed the
State in all directions, and met with as honest and
upright people as are to be found in any other part of
the Union.

On the 24th October, two heavily laden carts
arrived, each drawn by one horse : they' contained all
sorts of things useful for settlers. Their owners are
called peddlers, and they ask high prices for their goods,
and are said to make a good thing of it. S. bought
only a few trifles.

S. having sold most of his cattle, decided on parting
with this farm, and removing to Oiltrove bottom. Our
contract having been dissolved by Uhl's departure and
my frequent sickness, was no longer to be thought of.
Preparations were made for moving; S. had been
already to AMiite river and made his purchase. When
about to start, we found that two more oxen were
necessary: we had four, but the load was too heavy
■with such soft boggy roads. So we rode into the
woods, and drove a coujDle of wild bulls into the
inclosure, threw nooses over their horns, and fastened
them to trees. They made tremendous efforts to free
themselves, jerking the leather thongs with all their
force ; and Avhen they found all their struggles were in
vain, they threw themselves on tlie ground and bel-
lowed with rage. Thus they remained all the day and
night, during which we gave them nothing but a little
water to quench their thirst. About nine o'clock
next morning they were yoked each with a steady old

WHITE KIVER AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD. 173

hand; the whips cracked, voices shouted, and partly
from the shower of blows that fell on them, partly
dragged along by their stout companions, after four or
five hours' useless opposition, they went as well as if
they had done nothing all their lives but draw a cart.

The heavy wagon made slow progress along the
muddy tracts, softened by the autumnal rains. We
arrived at "White river on the morning of the 4th
November, and had to wait on the bank till evening,
as it was blowing a storm, and it would have been
dangerous to trust the heavy wagon tQ the ferry-boat
in such weather.

White river is beyond all dispute the most beautiful
river of Ai'kansas. Its clear waves form a strildng
contrast to those of the Mississippi and Red river;
only towards its mouth the banks are low, and the
land swampy ; higher up it is enclosed by picturesque
hills. It rises in the Ozark mountains, in the north-
^vest angle of the State, where there is game in
abundance ; it divides into two arms, one of which
falls into the Mississippi, and the other into the
Arkansas.

As the wind fell, the dry cold air changed into a
damp fog, which soon turned to rain, and we were
glad to find shelter under the roof of a free negro, who
kept a sort of tavern. Merry peals of laughter re-
sounded from the well-lighted room, where a bright
fire was blazing, and veiy comfortable did its warmth
appear to us after our exposure to the weather. Three
jovial looking fellows were sitting round it, telling
stories, and roaring with laughter. Three long Amer-
15*

174 WILD SPOKTS IN THE FAR WEST.

ican rifles, with their shot-beUs hanging on them,
leaning in a corner, showed that the party, if not
regular woodsmen, were at least out on a shooting
excursion. A half empty whiskey-bottle stood on the
table, and after a short conversation, I learnt that the
little fat man, with sparkling eyes and ruby nose,
sitting enjoying himself in the corner, and making
constant love to the whiskey-bottle, was Magnus the
distiller, who, with a couple of friends, was on his way
to the swamps from whence we came, for the sake of
buffalo hunting. The little man drank my health, and
amused me very much with his drolleries. He could
think of nothing but buffaloes, swore only by buffaloes,
made bets in buffalo-skins, estimated every thing by
their value, and tormented the small modicum of un-
derstanding which the whiskey had left in his brains,
to devise how he should be able to transport at the
greatest advantage the skins of all the buffaloes he
meant to kill.

It was all in vain that I attemjited to give him an
idea of the almost impenetrable swamps, of the diffi-
culty of finding the few buffaloes which were there,
and of the almost impossibility when found of bringing
their skins or any other part away ; his countenance
bore the same joyous, amicable expression as before.
"When I had finished my remarks, he handed me the
bottle, which I put to my lips without drinking. In
a voice trembling with emotion, he assured me that he
was prepared to venture every thing, even life itself,
for the sake of killing a buffalo, and when life was at
stake, who could take into consideration a few insig-

MAGNUS, THE GREAT BUFFALO IIUXTER. 175

nlficant swamp-lioles or thorns! And then, as it
struck him that he was a father of a family, his voice
became weaker and more tremulous, his emotion in-
creased, a flood of tears gushed from his eyes, and
before I was aware, the little round fin;ure was hanj^inn^
to my neck. The heavy weight forced from me a
sigh, which he took for sympathy, and he began to
squeeze so hard that I was afraid I should be suffo-
cated, Avhen his two friends, who had been more
moderate with the bottle, sjorang to my rescue. But
this was no easy matter, and as he clung to me he
cried out, " Let me alone ! he 's my friend — he, he will
save me ! " I escaped from him by a sudden wrench,
and his companions carried him off to bed, he all the
while throwing about his little fat arms and legs, and
caUing them good-for-nothing buffalo dogs. Then he
again began to whine and cry, the sounds changing
gradually, first into a groan and then into a snore.

We arrived at the new farm about noon next day,
and found the former proprietors loading their wagon.
They took their leave in the afternoon, and left as a
memorial an incredible quantity of dirt. As soon as
our wagon was cleared, and the things under cover,
S. returned with the two drivers for another load,
leaving me in the house alone. It was in the midst of
a thick forest, with a field of about seven acres, sur-
rounded by the largest trees. But I had not much
time to contemplate the beauties of Nature, for in un-
loadmg and stowing away, the hours had flown on tlie
wings of the wind. The sun had set before I had
collected wood from the forest to keep up a fire for the
night, or had had time to prepare my supper; the

176 WILD SPOKTS IN THE FAR WEST.

latter duty did not take long, for my whole store of
provisions consisted of maize flour, dried venison, and
wild honey.

Darkness, thick darkness, lay upon the slumbering
earth : yielding up my imagination to memorials of old
times, I drew the solitary chair to the blazing fire, took
out my zither, and with soft mournful tones, soothed
the home-sickness, which in loneliness forces itself on
the heart. After a time, overcome by fatigue, I ex-
tended myself on my buffalo skin before the fire, and
soon a succession of fantastic dreams flitted across 'my
brain. The little fat distiller sat Avith me and mine
in a garden at Leipzig, relating all the hardships and
dangers which he had undergone at the buffalo hunt,
while my dear mother listened to him with astonish-
ment: many other loved forms were sitting round a
large table, each with their coffee before them, when
we were all disturbed by a loud knocking at the gate,
and started up to see what was the matter, except the
little distiller, who laughingly told us it was only a
tame buffalo that he had tied up at the gate. The
knocking growing louder and louder, I jumped up in
alarm : the fire was burnt out, thick darkness sur-
rounded me, but the repeated loud knocking shook off
the remains of sleep, and I hastened to the door.

One of the drivers who had left the day before,
stepped into the room, his teeth chattering with ague.
I made haste to light the fire, vvhich soon burnt up
brfglitl}', and then looked to my patient, who had sunk
down on a chair, telling me with a weak voice that
his last hour was come. Luckily, I had some coffee at
hand, and made him drink a couple of cups as hot as

A PATIENT WITH THE AGUE SWAMPS. 177

possible, sweetened with honey. He then threw him-
self on the skin and was soon asleep. Next day he
was somewhat better, and we passed the time as well
as we could, till S. should come with his second load.
I employed myself in collecting wood for the fire, and
in shooting turkeys, to make our provisions last.
After a week, during the last days of which we had
lived on turkeys and pumpkins, taking the latter, which
were very sweet and deUcate, from the field of a neigh-
bor at no great distance, S. arrived with the rest of
his property, cows, horses, pigs, geese, cats, chickens,
and dogs. Then there was all the bustle of arranging
and settling, and then another attack of ague, which
seemed regularly to have fixed itself on me m this un-
healthy country. I bore up against it, but was not
well enough to mount a horse till the 20th November,
when I took a ride of four or five miles with my rifle,
for a breath of fresh air.

These swamps and morasses partly realize the idea
which Europeans entertain of the primitive forest, but
in which they are frequently deceived, for the simple
reason, that on the higher dry grounds w^hich are
covered with dry leaves and wood, fires are often made,
not only by shooting parties, but by the settlers, for
the sake of the grass, which comes up all the sooner
when all these enormous quantities of leaves, &c., have
been burnt ; and the fire does not consume the young
plants only, but considerably checks the growth of the
older trees, excepting in the marshes, where the ground
even in summer is moist ; and there the trees grow to a
colossal grandeur — I have seen some measuring seven,
eight, and even nine feet in diameter.

178 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR "WEST.

Towards evening I saw a young buck, walking
quietly and circumspectly through the wood ; I dis-
mounted, and left the horse to graze at leisure, while
I crept nearer. He stopped when he saw the horse
pawing the ground, raised his handsome head, and
snuffed the air ; my ball whistled through his ribs, and
he fell lifeless to the ground. Weak as I was, it was
some time before I could lift the not very large animal
on to the horse, when I rode slowly homewards. Just
before dark, I shot a turkey with the other barrel, and
did not load again, not expecting to get another shot
so late in the evening. The full moon set its soft
silvery light among the dark shadows of the trees,
to point out my path. I might -have ridden for about
an hour and a half through the thick forest on my
heavily laden horse, and had gained a cattle track,
which led to the house ; the stillness of the night was
broken by the cow-bells, the baying of the dogs and
the neigh of my horse, in expectation of a good supper,
when there was a sudden rustling among the bushes on
my right. I pulled up, and a herd of swine rushed in
wild haste across the path, just in front of me. I was
about to ride on, when I heard further rustling amongst
the dry leaves, and then one of the largest bears of the
swamps stood in the path, not above six paces from
my horse's nose. He did not seem to know what to
make of the figure looming through the glade of the
forest by the light of the moon, and began to snuff the
air. My rifle was not loaded, and the thought flashed
upon me, that I should have to fight it out with the
knife ; but I resolved first to try and send him a bit of
lead. I placed the butt of my gun on my left toe, and

HUNTING WITH AN UNLOADED GUN. 179

succeeded in loading ; but, as I was about to place the
copper cap, the horse, who had hitherto stood quite
still, seemed inchned to examine the object before him
a little closer, and giving a snort he made a step for-
ward. Master Bruin, however, did not seem to like
this, and with one bound he was in the jungle. Having
finished my loading, I slipped otF my horse, and crept
into the bushes to get a shot, if possible. I may have
gone about twenty paces over the dry leaves, when I
stood still to listeUj Not the slightest sound was to
be heard ; though I was firmly convinced that the bear
could not be above ten paces off, for the leaves were so
dry that if he had gone further I must have heard it.
I raised my foot gently to make another step forward,
when the bear, who had been standing so motionless
before me that I took him for the root of a fallen tree,
almost brushed my face, and took himself off with a
growl ; before I could recover from my surprise he had
disappeared.

I returned, quite disappointed, to my horse, who
remained quietly grazing, and rode away with two
good resolutions in my head, — first, never to go a step
with my gun unloaded ; secondly, to seek a nearer
acquaintance with Bruin on the morrow, if possible.

On the 22 nd November, I was early afoot, and
although the weather was cold and disagreeable, I set off
with a neighbor and eleven dogs, full of joyous
hopes.

Bear-shooting in America differs according to the
time of the year, and the habits of the animal. It
was now late in the autumn, almost winter, so that
they could be hunted with dogs. Well mounted, with

180 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

not less than from four to about eight or ten dogs, the
hunters seek in the thickest and most unfrequented
parts of the forest the favorite haunts of the bear.
The men ride slowly through the thorns and creepers,
the dogs seeking in all directions till they find a fresh
trail, or a bear breaks cover, when they follow up in
full cry. If the bear is fat he seldom runs far, but
takes to a tree, or shows fight ; if there are not dogs
enough to master him, he knocks them over and con-
tinues his flight* If he takes to a. tree, his fate is soon
sealed by the rifle.

We had ridden along quietly for about an hour, when
the dogs gave tongue, and started ofl', we after them as
well as Ave could. My horse was an old hand at it,
and I had nothing to do but to sit flxst as he leaped
the fallen trees, and try to avoid the creepers, which
how^ever often checked, and sometimes threw us.

Keej^ing up with the dogs was out of the question.
I had long lost sight of my companion ; I listened,
and it appeared that the bear had turned to the left,
towards the river ; could he reach it^ he Avas safe, — it
was too cold for the dogs — besides, they would hardly
venture to swim, and we also must have remained on
the bank.

I changed my course to cut him off, and luckily hit
upon one of the cattle tracks that cross the wood in
all directions. Once clear of the thorns, we went at a
good j^ace, and soon heard the pack approaching.
Suddenly the horse swerved to one side with a snort,
and the bear burst out of the thicket. The moment
he saw the horse, he stopped short and gave a deep
growl. I had sprung off, and the bear had hardly

THE NEW YORK

POBLiC LiBPARY

ASTOR, Litt^OK AMj
TILDKN FOUNDATIONS 1

jajmam r^dir^'-' ^^gBBHBH^v

SRUi.V A^ BAY

DEATH OF THE BEAR. 181

Stopped, when my ball was in liis shoulder. The pack
was close upon him, and he summoned all his strength
to escape from the dogs ; but the wounded shoulder
checked his pace, the dogs attacked him, and he rose
on his hind legs to oppose them. I could not venture
a second shot for fear of injuring some of them, so
charged him with my knife, and plunged it from
behind the shoulder into his heart; this, with the
furious bites of the dogs, soon ended his life.

My companion arrived at this moment, tired to
death, all torn with the thorns, and his horse covered
with foam. He was not a little vexed at coming too
late; however, he helped to break up the bear, and
strip off his skin, — and as each of us had a bag under
the saddle, we divided the prize, and rode slowly home.
The carcase is always equally divided amongst the
hunters ; the skin belongs to the first shot.

16

CHAPTER VII.

WOODLAND SPOKTS CANE-BRAKES MY EXAMINA-
TION BY THE SCHOOL COMMISSION.

Turkey hunting -with dogs — American aptitude for barter — Hard
life in the woods — Ague — Wolves — Unhousing a bear —
Kumber of widows in tlie swamps — Postal system in the back
states — Comfortable quarters — My musical propensities — The
Mississippi at ^Memphis — Cincinnati and its German inhabitants
— Our pill-box manufactory — My speculations in reeds — Dem-
ocrats in America — The candidates for schoolmastership — My
examination — Another cane trip — Buffalo shooting.

The weather became worse every day. The cold
north wind blew furiously through the leafless boughs of
the gigantic trees. All crowded together round the
warm hearth, and the European began to long for the
solid walls and warm rooms of his native land ; for
the wind blows, on all sides, through the crevices of
the American block-houses ; and as they are without
windows, the door must be left open the livelong day
to admit the necessary light. Thus it may be imagined,
that in spite of the enormous fire, the temperature is
not even moderate. In addition, we had nothing to
eat but bear's flesh, three times a day ; so I put on my
thick flannel hunting-shirt, took my rifle, and made up
my mind to shoot a turkey, whereat the dogs began
bounding and barking for joy.

Turkey hunting with dogs is one of the most
(182)

TURKEY SHOOTING WITH DOGS. 183

amusing and convenient sports in the world. As soon
as the dogs find a gang, as they are called, they run
amongst them, barking furiously ; although a turkey
can run fast, he cannot outrun a dog ; — so by way of
escape, he flies heavily to the nearest tree, generally
seeking the highest branches, and looks inquisitively
from his exalted station, on the dogs jumping and
yelping round the trunk. It now requires some good
management on the part of the sportsman, for should
the turkey catch sight of him, he will fly away again.
The best plan is to make as much noise as possible,
and, if the party is large enough to surround the tree,
or the gang, breaking through the bushes with loud
shouts ; and while the bird is confused by the strange
noises, the sportsman, having got near enough, must
slip behind a tree. Then it requires a steady hand and
correct eye to hit, with a single ball, a turkey at the
top of a tree, from 130 to 140 feet high; it is not
absolutely necessary that he be killed outright, for if a
wing is wounded, his heavy weight will infallibly kill
him in his fall. A hen turkey weighs from nine to
fourteen pounds ; the cock from sixteen to twenty,
and even twenty-four. I killed three, and returned
heavily laden home.

On the 21st December came the last load from I'An-
guille, and another attack of ague for me. This was
altogether too much, — I decided on bidding adieu to
the unhealthy swamps, and trying the hills, and on the
4th January put my plan in execution. Saint had
taken a strong liking to my double-barrelled rifle, and
repeatedly wished to exchange something for it. This
system of exchange is quite a passion with the Amer-

184 WILD SPORTS IX THE TAR WEST.

icans ; they will barter any thing — lands, houses,
horses, cattle, guns, clothes, even to the shirt and boots
they have on — or, if you prefer it, they are just as
willing to sell. Saint had a very good long rifle, and
we soon settled the matter, by my taking it, and a good
sum into the bargain.

I soon found that I was no longer master of my
former powers, as when I knew the word " tired " only
by name. Frequent attacks of ague had robbed my
muscles of their elasticity: with all my exertions, I
could hardly accomplish more than twenty miles the
first day, and had enough to do to make thirteen the
next ; in the evening, tired to death, I arrived at Von
G.'s, on the Little Red river. Next day it came on to
rain heavily, and I considered myself fortunate in
having a good roof over my head. I remained with
Von G. till the 9tli, when I Avent to my old friend
Hilger. I passed a few very pleasant weeks with him,
helped the old fellow at his work now and then, but
generally went out turkey shooting. I was treated as
one of the family. But my restless spirit and desire
for change, which drove me away from every place
where I had made friends, would not allow me to
remain here ; I must away, for the peaceful life of the
happy family caused me mournful thoughts : to escape
them, I determined to return to the swamps, as in
winter the danger was less imminent.

The Hilgers begged me to remain, but the spirit
which possessed me was too strong for them, and I
took a warm leave of them all ; the children, however,
would not hear of my departure, and the little three-
year-old girl was only to be pacified by a promise that

FOREST TRAVEL SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS. 185

she should go with me. The dear little thing actually
put on her bonnet, accompanied me for a quarter of a
mile, and then her brother had to carry her home by
force; my eyes moistened as she held forth her Httle
hand, and called out my name.

On, on, without delay, till the evening of the 25th
January saw me at Bay de View, a little river running
between, and parallel to, the Cash and I'Anguille. I
pitched my camp on one of the many old Indian
sepulchral mounds there. Deer and turkeys were
plentiful, but, hke the little distiller, the idea of a
buffalo hunt had got fixed in my head. So on the
27th I followed the course of the stream, through the
wild forest, and at night, beside the crackhng fire, gave
myself up to troubled thoughts. I had become so used
to forest life, that I seldom required the compass; in
the level marshy land, with its straight gigantic trees,
the traveller can easily find his way by paying atten-
tion to the moss, which grows much longer and fuller
on the north side than on the south.

In a day or two it began to freeze ; as the ground
was covered with water, in many places knee deep, the
noise I made in breaking the ice drove away all the
game within hearing. On the 28th and 29th January,
I could not get a shot, and lived on the remains of a
turkey, and some maize I had in my pockets. On the
30th I had nothing but the maize, which I roasted and
devoured with the greatest appetite; but instead of
appeasing my hunger, it only served to excite it the
more, and I began seriously to chew tender stems of
sassafras, in order to have something in my stomach.

My baggage was no great burden to me. At
16*

186 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

"Wliite river I had exchanged my buffalo skin for a
blanket — I had one spare shirt in my game-bag, with
a pair of rather woful looking socks, a small cord, a
bullet mould, and a few bits of lead ; but my greatest
incumbrance was the zither, which hung over my
shoulder. Yet it fully repaid me for all my trouble,
when I reposed by the fire after the day's toil, and I
never could have prevailed on myself to leave it in the
lurch.

Towards evening, as, still suffering from raging
hunger, I Avas looking out for a dry spot to sleep on,
I felt it growing colder every moment ; I made haste
to light a good fire, and threw myself before it com-
pletely exhausted. A hard frost came on, and a little
later I was dehghted to see it begin to snow. I coiled
myself up as well as I could and was soon asleep. I
was awakened in the night by the frightful howling
of the wolves, Avhich probably had no better sport than
myself, and I consoled myself with the idea that per-
haps they were only half as hungry. I got up several
times during the night to shake off the snow, and feed
the fire with the large logs I had collected the evening
before ; so that, notwithstanding the severity of the
cold, I enjoyed a comfortable warmth.

A bough breaking with the weight of snow, roused
me out of my sleep, and when I pulled the blanket from
my eyes they were nearly blinded by the bright, reflec-
tion of the sun's rays from the white surface. The
snow suited my purposes very well ; I rubbed my hands
and face with it, till they were quite in a glow, and
having no breakfast to cook, I was soon on the march.
Though weakened by my long fast, my good night's

OVEKCUP OAK BUCK-HUNTING. 187

rest and reawakend hope inspired me with new force,
and I lost no time in seeking something to appease my
ravenous appetite, as I roamed at random under the
heavily laden trees. The evening before, I had dis-
covered, near my sleeping place, an overcup oak, bear-
ing sweet acorns, some of which I gathered and
devoured, so as not to leave my stomach entirely
unemployed. This tree grows to a great size, but only
in the marshes ; — the leaves are small, and the acorn is
covered by the cup, with the exception of a small
opening at the top, whence the name. It is nearly
round, and serves for food in case of need, being less
bitter than the common sort. Bears are particularly
fond of it.

I had not gone far from my bivouac when I came on
the fresh trail of an old buck, which I followed up
swiftly and silently through snow half a foot deep,
passing several places where he had lain down. After
following the track for about three hours, it became
confused, but as I was forcing my way through a
thickly tangled thorn-bush, the buck stood before me,
looking at me with inquiring eyes. Ere I could clear
myself of the good-for-nothing creepers, he was off
again, leaving me to admire the immense leaps he had
made in the commencement of his flight ; his third leap
had been over a bush from eight to nine feet high, and
from the spot where he took off to that where he hghted
was about twenty feet. I found that he had soon
slackened his pace to a walk, so quickening my steps, I
followed him cautiously. I saw him a second time
standing in a thicket about a hundred paces off, and
evidently on the look-out ; I had no hopes of getting

188 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

nearer, so took steady aim and fired : lie gave a start
on one side, then fled in Avild haste through the tliick
jungle. I was now certain of him, so loaded quietly
and walked to the spot where he had been standing.
The snow was discolored with blood, and a broad
stripe of large dark red spots pointed out the path he
had taken.

Being somewhat exhausted by the sharp pace, and
wishing to allow the poor beast to lie down in peace, I
seated myself on a fallen tree. After half an hour's
rest, I followed him again ; unfortunately he had made
for the river, to lave his burning wound in its cool
waves, and, having swum across, he was lying dead on
the snow, on the other side, in a pool of blood.

Had I not been half starved, I should not have
thought of venturing into the cold water ; but necessity
would admit of no hesitation. I bound together some
logs of decayed wood, as floating lightest, laid on the
raft my rifle, zither, blanket, hunting-shirt, powder-
horn, gamebag, and shirt, and stepped into the icy-
cold water. I kept on my lower garments, as they
were already wet through from the small streams I had
waded in the course of the chase. I dipped my head
as soon as I could, and then swam across, pushing my
raft before me.

Shivering with cold, I had some difficulty in making
a fire, on account of the deep snow which covered
every thing ; — but I managed it at last with the help
of my tomahawk ; dried myself, and having laid some
steaks on the fire, I devoured them ere they were well
warmed through.

The exertion of the chase and the cold bath was too

BUFFALO HUNTING. 189

much for my weakened frame. I threw myself down by
the fire, and soon felt another attack of ague. The shiver-
ing fit lasted full two hours, and seemed the worst I had
ever experienced : it was succeeded by a hot fit, which
made me forget ice and snow. Towards evening I was
somewhat better, but not in condition to continue my
journey ; so I cleared away the snow, piled it up hke a
wall to keep oiF the wind, collected a good store of
wood and slept calmly and sweetly through the night.
Next day the ague had left me, but I felt very weali,
and remained all day extended before my warm fire,
enjoying my venison. Towards evening I took a little
turn for the sake of exercise, and to see if I could get a
shot, returning to my old quarters to sleep, and setting
out next day for the long desired buffalo.

I struck off in a southerly direction, and had
lounged along for about a couple of hours, when I
came to a place where at least twenty of these crea-
tures must have passed the previous night. I lost no
time in following the broad trail of the herd down the
bank 'of the river. After a time, the trail turned
suddenly to the northward. As it grew dark, I
lighted a good fire and laid down, having cleared
away the snow. It was dreadfully cold. The wolves
howled fearfully, but did not come near me.

After a good breakfast, I again followed up the
trail, which ran zigzag and in all directions, and when
I laid down again for the night I knew that I could
not be very far from my prey. I slept under the
shelter of a fallen tree, which kept off the wind, and
the fire burnt brightly. About midnight, the wind
changed from north-west to south-west, of wliich I did

190 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

not much approve, for the sky foreboded a change.
Dark masses of cloud assembled in the south, and the
air became perceptibly warmer. I dreaded the conse-
quences.

On the 5th of February it began to thaw, yet I
would not all at once give up my hopes of the
buffaloes, till several abortive attempts to find the
trail convinced me of the fruitlessness of further pursuit.
Shower followed shower. In a few hours all the beau-
tiful snow had disappeared, leaving a waste of waters, in
which no trail was visible.

I had now to ponder witliin myself what was best
to be done, but the approaching night soon settled that
matter. The darkness and pouring rain informed me
that there was nothing to be attempted at present. A
fire was out of the question, and I cowered under a
half-fallen tree, to be sheltered as much as possible
from the rain. I had some broiled venison in my
bag, but felt no appetite, and passed a miserable
night, shivering with cold. The wolves seemed al-
most tame, for some came withm a few paces bi me,
and howled awfully. I was in such a state of despon-
dency that I would not take the trouble to draw my
knife, because I should have had to move ; besides, in
the humor I was in, it almost seemed that to be shaken
by wolves till I was warm would have been rather
pleasant than otherwise.

I did not close an eye the whole night, and longed
eagerly for the first gleam of day, which at last broke
gloomily through the dark forest.

The rain ceased, and a damp thin mist lay upon the
swamp. I cut a slice of venison, and all my salt being

TriE MjiVi YO/<K

.^OC^'JRNAL ENTERTAINMEMT.

RETURN TO THE HAUNTS OF MEN. 191

expended, sprinkled it with powder, and ate it, cold and
dry as it was.

The almost impenetrable swamps and the wretched
weather, together with my long solitude, had con-
siderably cooled my shooting propensities, and I re-
solved to seek human society. To get clear of the
swamps as soon as possible, I directed my steps to the
north-east, towards the St. Francis river, in hopes of
finding letters from Cincinnati, or perhaps from home,
at Strong's post-office, as I had written for them to be
forwarded there.

A few dry strips of land ran across the country from
north to south, the intermediate spaces being about a
foot or a foot and a half under water, with here and
there channels three or four feet deep. Worn out
and wretched as I felt from the frequent attacks of
ague, I had twice to swim through the icy water, but
the word " must " carried me through. In fact, I had
the choice of that or perishing in the swamp. The
first alternative was merely disagreeable, while the
latter was highly objectionable ; so I chose the former.

I passed the night by a warm fire, at which I
roasted a turkey I had shot. It was at any rate an im-
provement on its predecessor, and my zither responded
through the forest to the voices of the owls and wolves.

Next morning I resumed my north-east direction
with fresh strength, and was not a little surprised
about nine o'clock by a smell of smoke. Soon after-
wards I came on the fresh remains of a fire. The im-
pressions on the leaves showed clearly enough that
only one person had lain there, and that he had four
dogs with him. About twenty paces from the fire

192 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

some grains of Indian corn were scattered about, and
a tree showed signs that a horse, who had left unmis-
takable marks of his teeth in the bark, had been
tethered there.

According to appearances, this person had not left
his halting-place above an hour, and as the dew and
hoar frost still lay on the leaves and grass, his trail
towards the south-east was easily traceable. After
following for a short distance, I heard a shot, hastened
towards the sound, and came up just as the object of
my search was mounting his horse. A broken-up deer
was hanging to a tree, and four dogs came barking
towards me. It turned out to be a man of the name
of Pearce, a dweller in the neighborhood, with whom
I was slightly acquainted. "We greeted each other
heartily, and were mutually delighted at the chance
meeting, he assuring me that nothing could have given
him greater pleasure than falling in with me, as he had
discovered a tree a few days back in which the marks
left it out of doubt that a bear must be concealed. He
had killed the deer as he came along, and hung it up,
intending to carry it home on his return. I readily
accepted his proposal to join him, and we hastened
towards Brushy lake, which we soon reached, but too
far south ; — so we had to go up the stream.

As we were both tired, we bivouacked early in the
afternoon, on an elevated tract of land, and stretched
ourselves comfortably before a warm fire. I had half a
turkey remaining, and Pearce had bear, deer, and coffee,
so I need hai'dly say that we made a good dinner.

We passed a quiet night, and the sun was well up
before we commenced our march. About ten o'clock

BEAR-HUNTING WITH DOGS. 193

P. pointed out a large cypress close to the bank of the
river, assuring me that the bear was there. The tree
may have been about four feet in diameter, and there
were very distinct traces of a bear's claws in the bark.
P. had intended to smoke out the sleeper; but that
would have required much time, and as we were now
two, and the tree was quite hollow at the base, we
resolved to cut it down with our tomahawks. Securing
the horse at a safe distance, we set to work, and the
forest soon resounded with the strokes of our small axes.
About two o'clock we paused to take a Httle refresh-
ment; the dogs, meantime, tired of waiting, amused
themselves in chasing rabbits and raccoons.

We had hardly recommenced our work, when P.
cried, " Look out ! the bear ! " At the first word I had
seized my rifle. The bear was down the tree like a
flash of lightning ; to fire, drop the gun, out knife, and
at him, was the work of an instant for each of us ; but
he shpped off like an eel from between us, and our
knives had nearly found a different sheath ; so exactly
had our shots fallen together, that neither knew the
other had fired.

The bear, so discourteously roused from his winter
sleep, could not at first make out the reason. But the
approach of the dogs, attracted by the shots, soon
caused him to take to flight. P., rifle in hand, threw
himself on his horse, and galloped after them, I follow-
ing, with my drawn knife, as fast as my legs would car-
ry me. The bear, severely wounded, did not run far,
and finding the dogs gaining on liim, he took to a tree.
P. sprang off his horse and loaded, and I came up just
17

194 WILD SPOKTS IN THE FAR WEST.

in time to see the bear, struck by liis imemng ball,
spring up, turn over, cling for a moment with both
paws, then fall heavily to the ground. The dogs threw
themselves on him, while we plunged our knives into
his chest with a shout of joy. The first two balls had
hit him in the flank, while the third from P.'s hand had
lodged in his heart.

As it was too late in the day to travel further, we
returned to the place where my rifle and some of P.'s
things were left, collected wood, made a capital fire,
and prepared a splendid supper. As P. had been some
days in the woods, we had finished his coffee in the
morning ; so, by way of something hot to wash down
the meat, I pulled up some sassafras roots, cut them up
into small pieces, and made a very good substitute for
tea.

Refreshed by our hard-earned meal, we enveloped
ourselves in our blankets, and chatted together before
the fire : P. telling me about the winter sleep of the
bears. Towards the end of the year, they select a hol-
low tree for the purpose, scratching and biting the inside
as smooth and clean as possible. This done, they de-
scend into it, about Christmas time, tail downwards, and
remain immovable, if not disturbed, till the end of Feb-
Tuavy or middle of March, when they come out for a
drink of water, returning to their retreat till the weather
is mild, and they can gain their ordinary livelihood.
Sometimes, instead of a tree, they select a cane-brake,
breaking and biting off the canes to form a bed.

The nearest house lay about ten miles north-east
from our bivouac, and through the worst part of the

THE FALLING TREE. 105

swamp ; but once there, I had hopes of being able to
walk on firm ground, instead of floundering through
water and mud.

After some hours' agreeable repose, both of us having
risen to make up the fire afresh, and just laid down
again, we were suddenly alarmed by a most tre-
mendous crash, which made us start up. The tree
which we had been hacking at, and then thought no
more about, was overthrown by the rismg wind ; but
this wind saved us, for as it blew in the opposite direc-
tion to our fire, the tree fell from us — otherw^ise we
might have paid dearly for our carelessness. As it
liappened to fall across the river, it made a very good
bridge for me on the following morning. The dogs
had dropped their tails, and started off at the very first
crack.

We were up with the day. P. packed his bear on
the horse, and made me promise to come and see him
when the swamps should be dry, to join in a buffalo
hunt. Taking a hearty leave of him I set off to the
north-east. After three hours' marching up to the
knees, and sometimes to the waist, in water, I came on
the broad road leading to Memphis, and turned to the
eastward. In the afternoon I arrived at S.'s old farm,
and walked half a mile further, to sleep at McO.'s,
dwelling with pleasure all the while on the hopes of a
warm bed, a sound roof, and the society of fellow-
creatures.

McO. gave me a warm reception, doing every thing
to make me comfortable : his wife came in later, having
taken a ride to pay a visit to a couple of widows. It
is a remarkable fact that such a number of widows are

19 G WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

found in the swamps. "Wherever you go, }'0u are sure
to see one at the least, and I think "Mr. Weller"
would have felt very uncomfortable in this part of the
world. Doubtless the cUmate is better suited to women
than to men, as the latter almost always die first.

"We were merrily chatting by the cheerful fire when
suddenly the doorway was darkened. I turned to look
at the new comer, and who should it be but the
Methodist ])reacher. One night later, and I should
have been out of his reach.

As the sun rose I started, quite refreshed, and
before sunset arrived at Strong's post-olfice, on the St.
Francis. Communication by letter would be impos-
sible in the thinly settled Western States, did not one
of the farmers undertake the oflice of i)ost-master.
One is appointed for each county, but their duties are
not severe. A postman, or mail rider as he is called,
traverses the county on horseback, sleeping at certain
fixed stations. The mail rider from Memphis, in
Tennessee, with a pack-horse in addition, carries the mail
for Little Rock and Batesville to Strong's post-office,
about forty miles, taking back the return bags ; from
Strong's, one rider goes to Batesville, and another to
Little Rock. I found a letter from Vogel, requesting
me to return to Cincinnati, and telling me that three
letters had arrived for me from Germany.

The following morning found me on the other side
of the St. Francis, traversing the swamp which Uhl
and I had had such trouble to cross nine months ago.
Although still soft and muddy, it Wiis not quite so bad
as on the previous occasion. I gained the banks of
the lake about dusk, and hailed the ferryman. lie

" SHOCKING CAD DREA3IS." 197

was not the man who kept it when we first came here.
As the sky looked surspicious, I decided on passing the
night in the house. My host was a young man, with
no°one but a negro boy to attend him; yet there was
society enough in front of the house, for on the spot
where Uhl and I had bivouacked, three famihes were
encamped, all bound for Texas.

As we were about to go to sleep, an old man came
in, saying that he was not quite well, and could not
bear the night air, and requesting permission to sleep
in the house. On leave being granted, he spread his
blanket before the fire, sat himself on it, and clasping
his left knee with both hands, fixed his eyes steadfastly
on the blazing logs. The negro boy sat in the chhnney
corner, staring at the old man, who at first took no
notice of him, but after a time he turned suddenly
towards him, saying, — " Here, good lad, I am subject
to shocking bad dreams; if I begin to talk, and throw
my arms about, will you give me a good shaking ? " The
boy nodded, and the old man became a much more
important personage in his estimation. " But I sleep
very sound, you must shake me weU." The boy nodded
again. " If you do it well, I will give you sixpence."
The boy grinned as well a:-i nodded. The man lay
down on his blanket, and the boy watched him as a
cat watches a mouse. I could not sleep, and turned
and turned in vain; at length I heard a groan. I
thouglit of the old fellow and his contract with the
boy,°and looked to see if the latter was awake. He
was on his knees watching his charge with aU his
mi^'-ht. The man uttered some broken words, and
17*

198 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

raised both liis aiTns. The boy had only waited for
this ; he had him by the shoulder in an instant, and
shaking him with all his force, called out, "Master,
master — open your eyes, master." The man awoke,
and saying, " Thank you," was about to turn on the
other side, which did not suit the boy : he shook him
again. " I tell you I am awake ; do you want to shake
the soul out of me ? " and he tried to get to sleep. But
Sambo shook him again, so that he started up in a
rage, asking, " What do you go on shaking me for,
when I am wide awake ? " The boy jumj)ed back,
frightened by the threatening expression of the old
fellow, and said, trembling, "I — I — I — want that six-
pence ! " Altogether, it was too much for my gravity,
and I burst into a roar of laughter ; the two managed
to settle their differences, and I soon afterwards fell
^.sleep.

J W3,s early on the march, and arrived towards
«uijig at a neat comfortable looking house, sur-
* \)y large fields of cotton and Indian corn,
^"^ '^•^ al?pde pf a rich planter; on receiving a

O'enmg ti. . ^ ^y. {^q^ij-y £qj, j^ight quarters,

friendly affirmative .'^ ^^ag in the corner, and sat

I placed my yiQe and gu. . ^^^j,

myselfoi)aneasj<ite*rbytho -,^^^j.^ p,us^ j,ever

Strangers inquiring fov ii:"^ ^^^ - TOtnitpusly,

suppose that they are to rleonS *^^^^ ^fepthe

The usual price for suppei-, bed, an4 breJ""^^'' "" '^ ^
same good or bad -is half a dollar- fouf nf '''''°"°^
^^^adolla^whichwasal^S^i^ Jhe

corn. In the swamps it wa^ |ialf

LADIES IN THE FOREST. 199

a dollar ; in Oiltrove Bottom, only a quarter, corn
being cheap there ; further south, the charge was higher,
and to the north-east again it was cheaper.

On my entrance, I perceived that there were ladies
in the house. I had been for some time alone, and
as it grew dark, having had enough of my own
thoughts, I took out my zither, and began to play. A
negro boy, enticed into the room by the music, soon
ran out again, probably to tell his mistress what a
curious sort of instrument I was playing upon. I soon
had an invitation to join the ladies ; but my costume
was not the most suitable for a drawing-room. For
months, neither razor nor scissors had approached my
head : my hunting-shirt had been ten months in wear,
sorely battered by wind and weather, and not being ot
leather, the thorns had left their marks in many
places : my leggins and water-proof boots were pass-
able : my shirt, of my own washing without soap, in
cold water, boasted various shades of red, from turkey's
and bear's blood, which is much more difficult to wash
out than that of deer.

The ladies received me very pohtely, almost too
politely, and I began to play. The Americans in
general have little feehng for German music ; they are
a people who live in a hurry, and every thing must go
fast, even music: when they hear any which has not
the time of a reel or hornpipe, they say that they do
not understand it. The more educated class forms an
exception, and of such was my audience. The younger
lady was the owner's wife, very pretty, though pale ;
but, indeed, I should lil^e to know how any one could
|jye in these vile swamps without being pale. The

200 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

elder, a kindly, venerable matron, seemed to be on a
visit; they were simply but tastefully dressed, as is the
case with all American women, even of the lowest
classes ; every thing in the room seemed neat and
orderly. I passed a few very agreeable hours there ;
they were very much pleased with the instrument,
having seen nothing like it before ; and as they
listened with marked pleasure to the sweet German
and Scottish airs, it seemed as if they could never
have enough of it, and it was past eleven before I got
to bed. There was a piano in the room, but it had
not been played upon sufficiently to perfect its tone.

It was long since I had enjoyed the pleasure of
accomphshed society, and I shall never forget my
friendly reception by this family.

From hence, to Memphis was thirteen miles, with a
good road, and by two in the afternoon I was again on
the waves of the Mississippi. The ferry carried me
over to Tennessee, Arkansas lay behind me, and once
more I returned to civihzed society from the wild hfe
of the backwoods ; but who can decide whether to a
happier one. My funds had fallen so low that I was
obhged to look out for work. The banks of the Mis-
sissippi are so high and steep at Memphis, at the
mouth of the Wolf river, that the town cannot be seen
from the stream. The steamers deliver their passengers
and cargoes on board wharf-boats, formed of used-up
steamboats moored to the banks.

The times were hard : I could obtain no other work
than to cut wood, which, with my weak health and
unpractised hand, was certainly no trifle ; but necessity
is a good teacher. I gained half a dollar and food by

UNEMPLOYED HANDS IN CINCINNATI. 201

cutting a cord of wood, eight feet long, four feet high,
and four feet deep, at a merchant's, who had a tract of
land and a saw-mill about two miles from the town.
Although hard work at first, yet when I got used to
it, I found that on an average I could cut and 2>ile a
cord a day.

After fourteen days' hard work, I resolved to go to
Cincinnati for my letters, and, above all, to recover my
health in its superior climate, then to return and visit
the hills. I had cut eighteen cords, and as the man
saw that I was poor, sickly, and in a hurry to go
away, he cheated me out of two dollars by giving me
bad coin, a fact which I discovered on board the " Per-
sian" steamer, on my passage to Cincinnati. I was
kindly received by all my old friends, and established
myself in a new suit of clothes, for which, however, I
had to run in debt.

I looked about for work ; every tavern in the place
was crammed full of Germans, ready to do any thing
for bare food : whole families were in a helpless state.
Fine stories had been told them that they could gain a
dollar a day for every sort of work, and when they
arrived, farmers were paying only five or six dollars a
month, and could not employ four fifths of the appli-
cants. I pitied the poor creatures, though no better
off myself. I took many a long walk in vain, looking
for employment, when Vogel offered me an occupation
I should never have thought of myself, viz., making
pill-boxes. Vogel thought he would try " Emperor's
Pills," of which he had the prescription. He was very
clever in such matters, but he required little round
boxes, resembhng the original as imported. We set to

202 WILD SPORTS IN THE TAR WEST.

work with a will ; a carpenter was found to plane the
chips, we formed the tops and bottoms with a stamp,
and I colored the sides with logwood. The pill-box
manufacture was soon in full play, and I made them as
if I had done nothing else all my life. But all things
must have an end, even the manufacture of pill-boxes,
and my genius was again left fallow Yogel came
once more to my assistance, and I became a chocolate
maker, gaming a dollar a day by pounding it in an iron
mortar.

Shortly afterwards I heard of a dealer in tobacco
who was out of pipe-stems. These pipe-stems are
made from the reeds or canes growing on the banks of
rivers, and other moist places in the Southern States,
and as all the rivers had risen very high, he could find
no one to venture among the .snakes and mosquitoes.
This was something more in my way than sitting
behind a pestle and mortar.

I bargained with a companion, and, with a few
dollars in our pockets to cover the most necessary ex-
penses, we started off for Tennessee, by the " Algonquin.'*
There were plenty of canes at one of the places where
the vessel stopped for wood ; I jumped on shore, and
the owner of the wood, who dwelt in a small house
close at hand, agreed to board and lodge us at two
dollars a head per week. We at once landed our bag-
gage, and set to work next morning.

These reeds grow in immense thickets on the banks
of the IVIississippi ; but we only cut the smallest for
pipe-stems. They were about the thickness of a large
quill just above the root, from four to six feet long,
the joints being from eight to sixteen inches. The

CARD-PLAYING IN THE CANE-BRAKE. 205

leaves are green in summer and winter, and serve as
fodder for cattle. We stripped off the leaves, and
bound the reeds in bundles of 500, which make a good
armful, and rather a heavy one when green. We
sold them in Cincinnati for two and a half dollars a
bundle.

The man on whom we had so summarily quartered
ourselves was very civil and obliging, and we were
soon good friends. To enliven the long evenings, he
luckily happened to have a pack of cards, and a relation
of his, who lived at some distance, used to come in
and play whist. I often wished that our friends at
home could have seen us, so as to have an idea of the
difference of a whist party in Germany and one near a
cane-brake in Tennessee : ours had at least the advan-
tage of simplicity. A very roughly hewn table was
placed in the middle of the room, the seats were chairs
or boxes. It happened that the mosquitoes were more
formidable here than I ever found them anywhere
else ; and as it would have been quite impossible to
sit still under the constant attacks of these tormentors,
an iron pot with glowing charcoal was placed under
the table ; a negro boy from time to time fed it
with rotten wood, in order to keep up a thick smoke,
which rose up all round the table, and was by no means
beneficial to the eyes.

Instead of wax candles, a long stick was jammed
between two of the boards of the floor ; pork fat was
then cut in long strips, wound round with cotton rags,
tied to the stick at a moderate height, and lighted.
It burnt rather dim, but gave light enough to show
whether the colors were red or black, when the card

204 "WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

was not dirtier than usual, and the smoke was not so
strong as to draw tears.

We had also great fun in harpooning buifalo-fish,
which make for the swamps when the river is high.
The land here, at 100 to 150 paces from the river, is
lower than the bank ; it is covered with water in
winter and spring, and dries up in summer, generating
fever and disease, besides myriads of mosquitoes and
other insects. One afternoon, in the space of two hours
and a half, I caught fifteen fish, of which the smallest
weighed about ten pounds.

Towards the end of April, having cut 18,000 canes,
we hailed the next boat that passed, embarked our
cargo, and landed at Cincinnati on the 30th. Our
canes were soon sold, and they were still in demand.
I had a great mind to make another voyage, but
resolved next time to go alone ; for though I found my
companion very willing to share the gains, he was by
no means so ready to share the pains. For the present,
however, I preferred staying a short time at Cincinnati
and amusing myself.

I happened to fall in with some of my Jewish fellow
passengers on board the " Constitution." Acting on
the instructions of their friends and countrymen at
New York, they had begun to trade in a small way ;
all had gained something, and some few had become
comparatively rich. They generally begin as peddlers,
stopping at every farmhouse, and the farmer is obliged
to buy something to get rid of them.

As the ri^-^rs were still rising, I made a second trip
to the canes. I had paid all my debts, and had some-
thing in hand. Towards the end of May, I embarked

GERMAN SETTLERS DOWN SOUTH. 205

on board the " Mediator," with the intention of going
further south than before, as the canes there are laro-er,
and I could cut some for fishing rods, from thirty to
forty feet long, and 1^ to two inches thick.

What a view presented itself on leaving the Ohio for
the Mississippi ! Of Cairo, a small town on a point of
land in Ilhnois, nothing was to be seen, except a
hotel, a manufactory, and a brick house. In August
the water subsided, and the river returned to its bed,
leaving a thick layer of sticky mud behind it. The
sides were all under water, except some liills on the left
bank, but no canes grew there, and it was not till I
reached Louisiana, where the "levee" begins, that I
found dry land. To avoid bemg carried to New
Orleans, I landed at random, and found myself in a
French settlement with numerous plantations close to
each other. I learned from a Creole that there was a
German settlement further down the river, and thither
I directed my steps, to hear something about the
country. I fell in with a German planter, and he
directed me to a German inn-keeper still further on.
1 received a cordial welcome from him ; he offered me
his boat to row over to the opposite bank, where I
could cut as many canes as I chose.

Next morning I made a voyage of discovery, and
found a beautiful country, but mostly under water, even
to the canes, which grow on the highest parts of the
marshes; wherever there was a spot of dry land, it
swarmed with all sorts of snakes, and the air was thick
with mosquitoes. However, here I was, and work I
must. I cut down a great number of beautiful fishing-
rods, bound them together, and laid them on one of
18

206 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

the highest spots, ready to carry across in a larger
boat.

I passed some pleasant weeks here, partly in the
society of my countrymen, and partly engaged in my
work, and at last embarked with my goods, on board
the steamer "Independence," taking cordial leave of
my new friends, and particularly of my kind host, who
could not be induced to receive any payment. I landed
first at Louisville, and disposed of a part of my canes,
then took the rest on to Cincinnati, found a ready
sale, and was once more free to do as I liked.

The Whigs and Democrats were at this time more
than usually violent, abusing each other in the public
papers and thrashing each other in the public houses.
The Democrats in Cincinnati (and all the Germans
were Democrats) had carried a measure for allowing
German to be taught in the schools as well as English ;
but the German scholars hung back from the office of
schoolmaster, for fear of the examination they would
have to undergo. Under these circumstances, some of
my good friends persuaded me to attempt to pass, and
take a situation, the salary being from twenty-five to
thirty dollars a month. So I resolved to try it, if only
for the fun of the thing.

But for this purpose it was necessary to devote some
time to study, as my knowledge of English grammar
was none of the best, and much of my scholarship had
evaporated in the backwoods.

The formidable day at length arrived. The can-
didates were two Germans besides myself, and three
Americans, besides five or six young women for the
female schools. I had forwarded notice of my wish

THE GREAT SCHOOL EXAMINATION. 207

to become a candidate towards the end of July, to-
gether with a certificate of my moral character from a
citizen of the town, which my former employer, the
silversmith, was kind enough to give me. I stepped
with a light heart into the hall, for I really did not
much care whether I passed or not. The examiners
were five very respectable looking gentlemen ; as the
others seemed inclined to hang back, I very gallantly
stepped forward. One of the examiners said he should
begin with geography, and addressed me as follows : —
" Now, Jilr. Kresdegger ; " " Gerstaecker, sir." " Oh,
excuse me ; now, Mr. Kerseker, will you be so kind as
to give us the boundaries of Ohio." " Yes, sir ; on the
north," &c. &c. It was all conducted in this courteous
manner, and all answered the questions, except one of
the Germans. They then began upon Germany,
asking me, from what state I came ? " From Saxony."
" How is Saxony divided ? " " Into five districts."
" What are their names ? " To save my life, I could
not on the instant remember, but my impudence car-
ried me through. Taking it for granted that my
examiner knew no better than myself, especially as he
had no book, I answered gravely : " Leipzig, Dresden,
Grimma, Meissen, and Oschatz;" with which he was
perfectly satisfied, though one of my compatriots was
obliged to bite his lips to preserve his gravity. After
a little more geography we came to grammar, spelling,
arithmetic, and writing; we were then dismissed, and
directed to apply on the following Wednesday. On
Wednesday we had a fresh examination, rather more
tedious than the first, and then we w^ere referred to
the 5th August. All passed, excepting one of my

208 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR "WEST.

countrymen, who remarked that, as they had given
him no certificate, he supposed that they had forgotten
him.

This affair had detained me longer than I had at
first intended, and I now prepared for another cane
trip. This time I went no further than Tennessee, a
little below my old ground, and lodged with a relation
of my former host.

After a few days, some of the neighbors and my
host proposed a shooting party to the Tironia, in
Arkansas, and as* they intended to be only fourteen
days absent, I agreed to join them, obtained the loan
of a horse and rifle, and was in a few days once again
in Arkansas. We remained about a week at the
junction of the Tironia with Big Creek, and shot three
bears ; but the season was the most unfavorable that
we could have selected. They were not only very
thin, but their skins foxy and useless. "While here
we happened to fall in with a young man named
Woodsworth, who wished to go to my old swamps of
Baz de View, and Cash river, to try for buffalo, these
marshes being now dry. Nothing could have presented
itself more opportunely. My comrades were soon per-
suaded, and in five days we were in the buffalo feeding
grounds.

After three days' fruitless search, we came upon a
herd of sixteen, a cow and a calf in the rear. We all
fired at the cow, in hopes of taking the calf alive. The
cow fell, after making a few bounds, but to our great
annoyance, the wild fat calf threw up his tail, galloped
after the rest, and was soon out of sight.

Oh, what a feast we had ! Well tamied sole-leather

SPECULATION IN CANES. 209

would have been a delicacy in comparison ; the mar-
row was the only part good for any thing. My host and
AYoodsworth cut the skin lengthwise, in two halves,
and each took a half on theh' horses. We then turned
to the north-east, and rode, without entering a house,
to Memphis, crossed the Mississippi, and rode home by
the left bank. So at last, I had been at a buffalo hunt !
and had had hard fagging, little pleasure, and no
advantage. Whenever I looked at the skin, I thought
of little Magnus, the distiller.

I set to work on the canes again, and by the middle
of October had cut about 30,000, shipped them on
board the steamer " Buckeye," and returned to Cin-
cinnati ; but this supply overstocked the market there,
so I took them to Pittsburg, in Pennsylvania, selling
some at the small towns on the Ohio on my way. I
drove a good trade with them at Pittsburg, and stayed
no longer than was necessary, on account of the coal-
dust and smoke. Like Cincinnati, the place was
crowded with Germans out of work. On my return
to Cincinnati, I lived for some time at my ease.

18*

CHAPTER VIII.

FARMING AT FOURCHE LE FAVE A BACKWOODS

"frolic" RESIDENCE AT KELFER's FARM

SCHOOLS HUNTING EXCURSION.

The Ohio — Partnership in farming — Fourche Le Fave — Mr. Kelfer

— Congress land — My cooking operations — Pig-killing — Decoys
used in shooting turkeys — Shooting by night — Salt licks — Mos-
quitoes and ticks — Dissensions on our farm — A grand " frolic "

— Canoe voyage through the Avoods — Sickness — Kelfer and his
family — Sessions at Fourche le Fave — Shooting expedition with
Slowtrap — Reserve of the Americans — Adventures of the early
settlers with Indians — Raccoon shooting — Bee-hunting with
bait — Tempest — Panther-hunting.

Having received a letter from Riitkin, in Louisiana,
with whom I had passed some pleasant days, inviting
me to visit him, and intending to return to Arkansas
to shoot (but to the hills in the west, instead of the
swamps), and having nothing to detain me, I accepted
the invitation, and taking a hearty leave of all friends,
I was soon once more on my way to the south.

The steamer "Artisan," with cattle, poultry, flour,
whiskey, and passengers, carried me down the beautiful
Ohio. It was very cold ; and as we lay at Louisville,
taking in more cargo, it began to snow hard. By the
time we had reached the mouth of the Ohio, the snow
was eight inches deep, and continued so as far as

(210)

PARTNERSHIP WITH RUTKIX. 211

Memphis ; nor did it entirely disappear till we had passed
Natchez.

The nights were very dark, and the boat landed me
seven or eight miles above the right place, so I had to
walk to Rutkin's, leaving my baggage at a plantation,
and calling for it next day.

Rutkin gave me a cordial reception. He was on the
point of selling his hotel at Pointe Coupee, and remov-
ing, with all his family, to Arkansas, as the cHmate of
Louisiana did not agree with them. Two friends, Hal-
ler and Kean, were to jom him, the former with a
family.

Early in January we went up the stream in the
steamer "Amazon" to the mouth of the Arkansas, and
started from thence by one of the smaller boats that
run from its mouth, through the dark forests, to the
western forts. Our first point was Little Rock, from
whence we intended to go to Fort Smith, on the west
frontier, leaving the women and children till a house
was prepared for them.

Rutkin had a capital of about 4,000 dollars, and the
others 0,000 amongst them. It was arranged that we
should all settle on our tract of land, and cultivate it
together, R. takmg a stock of goods for trading, which
was also to be carried on in common, he receiving four
per cent, for his outlay. As the money was at his dis-
posal, he was to a certain degree our chief, but we were
all on good terms with each other.

We heard Fourche le Fave very highly spoken of,
and particularly the land in its neighborhood. We
went to look at the place, and were well received by a
settler there, JMr. Kelfer. He rode over the country

212 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

"vvith US, showed us every thing that was to be seen, and
did all in his power to make our visit agreeable. We
could not see much of the land for snow, but K. assured
us that it was very good, the pasture excellent, and the
shooting also good. K. seemed likely to make a pleas-
ant neighbor, and we soon came to terms. There were
two dwelling-houses, with two fields not far apart^ be-
longing to an American named Wilson, who was, as
usual, willing to sell. In half an hour the matter was
settled, 250 dollars, Arkansas paper currency, being
paid for the whole. There were two other fields, mak-
ing altogether about thirteen or fourteen acres of arable
land, fenced in. The house furthest from the river was
a very good one.

It has to be noticed that this was Congress land;
that is, it belonged to the United States government,
and the first settler on it has a prior right to purchase
it, called in American law " preemption right." The
advantages of this system to the settler are as follows :
he may settle on the land and cultivate it as his own,
no one having a right to turn him off, till it has been
surveyed and announced for sale in the Govern-
ment Gazette. He then has the right of purchasing a
quarter section, or IGO acres, or even as little as forty
acres at the rate of a dollar and a quarter an acre, even
though another should bid a larger sum for it. This
light Wilson transferred to us with his "improve-
ments."

After concluding the purchase, we all came to Little
Rock. Rutkin and Keen went to Louisiana to bring
over the families, while Haller and I bought provisions,
and returned to Fourche le Fave. Little Rock was much

REMOVING GOODS BY CANOE. 213

increased and improved since I first saw it two years
ago, but the place never pleased me.

Our house being near the river, we required a boat,
partly to carry out goods from Little Rock to the place
of destination, thirty miles up the Arkansas, and forty
miles up the Fourche le Fave, and partly to carry us
occasionally across the river. We obtained a very good
one for ten dollars, loaded it with flour, potatoes, coffee,
sugar, some carpenter's tools, and a puppy that had
been given me, and which I meant to break in, and
rowed away in good spirits towards our new home.

We entered the Fourche le Fave on the evening of the
second day, hoping to reach a house, said to be about
seven miles up the stream ; but we could not find the
smallest spot fit for a human habitation, and landed on
a projecting rock, quite tired, between nine and ten
o'clock. As it had rained all day, this was the only
clean spot we could find ; and the stone was so small
that we were obliged to rest our feet in the boat, to' keep
them out of the water.

Next day it rained harder, and we were very glad
to get to a house before dark, where we were in
some measure protected from the tremendous rain.
I say in some measure, because the roof was none of
the best, the rain dropping on my face and neck;
luckily, before dark, I had espied an old cotton umbrella
in a corner (no common article in a block-house), and
slept comfortably enough for the rest of the night under
its shelter.

We arrived next evening at Kelfer's farm, where we
were hospitably received, and reached our place of des-
tination on the day following. The four naked walls

214 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

looked dreary enough at first, but we soon made our-
selves comfortable. We had nothing to do but to
repair the fences, and wait till the weather was cold
enough to preserve meat, and to buy and kill pigs for
both families for the winter. Soon after our arrival, I
had happened to fall upon the slippery bank of the
river, and tore open my left hand, and afterwards, as I
was chopping a plank with my tomahawk, not being
able to hold it properly, it slipped, and I smashed one
of my fingers. Haller tore up one of my shirts to bind
the wound, and as I could now for awhile do notliing
else, I attended to the cooking, which was carried on as
follows : first, we had a cask of wheat flour, of which I
made bread for every meal ; secondly, corned pork, cut in
thin slices and fried ; and lastly, coffee. The sugar was
kept in a paper parcel on a shelf, and each helped himself-
At dinner, a glass of whiskey was substituted for the
coffee. After about three Aveeks, being in a rage with
something, I threw the fryingpan out at the door,
whereby its handle was broken, and it was rendered
by no means more convenient to cook with ; then
Haller one day made a false step, and stumbled on the
coffee-pot, which, in consequence, had to be stopped with
a little paste every morning. The washing-up I found
more disagreeable than the cooking.

Meantime, my hand had got better. The weather
set in very cold, and we resolved to kill and salt the
pigs we had bought, weighing about 200 pounds each.
A young American, whom we had engaged to help us,
cut down a large sassafras tree, and hollowed out half
a dozen troughs, five for the meat, and one for the lard.

The neighbors were called in to help, the pigs di'iven

SCALDING PIGS " ARKANSAS FASHION." 215

into the enclosure, shot, stuck, scalded, cleaned, and
carried into the house. Not having any large caldron
to scald them, it was done Arkansas fashion. A cask
with the head out was half sunk in the earth, and
filled with cold water, and a large fire was made close
by and covered with stones. AVhen these were hot
enough, they were thrown into the water, and the cask
covered with a blanket. The water was soon hot
enough for our purpose: the pig was dipped once or
twice in the water, and five or six pairs of hands soon
removed all the bristles. By evening all was finished,
and part of the fat laid aside, out of reach of the dogs,
for making soap. The good people who came to help
us, now set-to to drink, assisted by Haller, so that m
the course of an hour and a half, none of them knew
exactly whether he was standing on his head or his
feet. As soon as they were all screwed up, I laid one
in each trough, and left them to repose. Before it
came to this, Haller and the young American had
sworn eternal friendship, clasped each other round the
neck, mutually supported' each other to prevent their
falhng on the stupid staggering ground, till at last they
went down like a couple of flour-sacks. Next day the
pigs were cut up, salted, and suspended in the smoking
house. In the evening we went to our next neighbor
to borrow a caldron, to melt down the fat ; but when I
went to get it, a large quantity of fat had vanished, not
through the dogs, but through Avolves, whose trail I
plainly traced through the soft sand near the river, not
fifteen paces from the house ; but enough w^as left for
our purpose.

I was now well enough to shoot again, and had good

216 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

sport with the turkeys, rising before daybreak, station-
ing myself near their roost, and remaining quite still
till early dawn, then imitating the voice of the night-
owl. The indignant turkey begins to gobble Avith
great force, and betrays his whereabouts ; by creeping
noiselessly near his perch, he may be easily knocked over
before broad daylight. If the day should be too far
advanced for the sportsman to gain upon him unper-
ceived, he must crouch behind a fallen tree, or other
cover, and use a decoy-pipe, made from the second bone
of the hen turkey's wing, split a little on both sides.
One end of this he applies to his mouth, keeping the
other end in the hollow of his hands. As soon as
the cock hears it, he flies down, gobbling furiously, and
struts towards the sound, with his wings trailing along
the ground, his comb and wattles in full bloom, and
his tail spread out. He sometimes will come so near
that the sportsman is obliged to give a short whistle to
check him, because it is very difRcult to hit him in the
right place with a single ball when his feathers are aU
ruffled. On hearing the whistle he pulls up short,
looks round suspiciously, and utters a warning K-t-t-t.
Now fire, or good-by turkey. This sport was so
attractive, that I hardly let a morning pass without
bringing home a turkey ; but it was long before I was
perfect in my practice, and I lost many a shot by a false
note, or heedless noise.

At the end of two months, Kean arrived early one
morning with the news that Rutkin's and Haller's
families were in a large flat-bottomed boat, at the
mouth of the Fourche le Fave. Haller took the boat
immediately to join them, leaving Kean with me.

SHOOTING DEER BY NIGHT. 217

Fresh life came with the new arrivals : Rutkin brought
a quantity of wares with him, which were all stowed
in a house we had built for the purpose. They con-
sisted chiefly of coffee, sugar, salt, powder, lead, cot-
tons, &c., &c., all to be sold for ready money ; but as
ready money was one of those things which were very
scarce in Arkansas, a system of barter was opened,
and cattle, pigs, horses, salt meat, butter, poultry, eggs,
skins, and smoked venison, were exchanged for the
said articles, and conveyed to Little Rock, to be again
sold or exchanged. Tliis part of the business was
intrusted to me.

Rutkm took on some more workmen, and the land
was prepared for corn. I was again passionately fond
of shooting, and had capital sport. As my days were
generally occupied, it was carried on at night, as fol-
lows: the handle of a frying-pan is lengthened to
about four feet by means of a narrow board ; the pan
is filled with kindlers and set alight — then taking it on
your shoulder, and your rifle in your hand, you are
ready for sport. If alone, you must take a store of
kindlers to replenish the fire. For the sake of a better
aim, a small crutch is cut in the end of the wooden
handle, to rest the rifle. The fire being kept behind
your head, the eyes of the game wiU glow like balls
of fire : the deer, accustomed to the frequent fires in
the forest, are not alarmed. When first discovered, if
at about 100 paces, the eyes will look like a single
ball, but the two become distinct on a nearer approach,
which the sportsman must make with as little noise as
possible, and, if possible, against the wind. When
near enough, he lays his rifle in rest, and aims between
19

218 WILD SPORTS IN THE TAR WEST.

the eyes, or, if he can distinguish the outline of the fomi,
at the heart ; and he is generally sure of his game.

There were numbers of salt-licks in the vicinity of
the Fourche le Fave, which were much visited by deer
and cattle. The former generally come in the night,
so that the sportsman may take up a station under a
scaffold, on the top of which a fire is made. Four
posts are driven into the ground, five feet apart, and
beams laid across, covered with a layer of leaves or
moss, then a layer of sand or earth, . on which the fire
is made. The sportsman sits underneath in impene-
trable darkness, yet able to see for seventy or eighty
paces on all sides, and easily kills any deer approaching
the lick.

Many a night I lay in the mild Avarm air of the
forest. Sweet and refreshing as Avas the face of nature,
all was not repose ; mosquitoes and ticks almost drove
me to despair. Wlien the fire was once weU alight,
the mosquitoes were attracted by it, and destroyed
themselves by thousands, but the ticks became the
more furious. They swarm in the woods about the
end of April, and are a dreadful torment to the new-
comer. The full-grown ticks, about the size of a small
shot, are not the worst, because when they bite they
may be caught and killed ; but in July, the seed-ticks,
smaller than poppy seeds, cover the bushes by millions,
and I have often almost lost myself under them.
Tobacco smoke is the only safeguard against them, as
it kills them at once. The poor cattle are dreadfully
tormented by them, j^^rticularly -when they get into
their ears. The first cold drives them away, though a
few may be found aU through the winter.

DISAGREEMENT WITH RUTKIN. 219

Meantime the work of the farm went on, and the
maize was planted ; but a change came over the spirit
of our society. Rutkin, who had hitherto been friendly
and good-natured, became snappish and domineering,
and once or twice ventured to give me orders in a
tone that I did not choose to bear ; but as he had been
only a short time in Arkansas, I made excuses for him,
laughed at him, took my gun, and absented myself for
above twenty-four hours. On my return, he was
always wise enough to act as if nothing had happened,
and to see that giving orders Avas of no use. He had
also frequent disputes with Kean. Haller agreed with
him best, because he always flattered him, and coincided
with him before his face, though this was by no means
the case behind his back.

One day when I was out shooting, R. attacked K.,
who was small and slight. To avenge himself, Kean
took down his rifle, and would have shot Rutkin, had
not Haller thrown himself between them. Our friendly
relations were now quite broken up. Kean came over
to Haller's, where I was living, and we withdrew from
the partnership, which was more than R. had reckoned
on, as, knowing the state of our finances, he thought
he had us under his thumb. He did not consider
that I had a rifle, that there was plenty of game in
Arkansas, and that there was a river running to New
Orleans, where Kean, who was an excellent accountant,
could make sure of a good situation.

We were soon ready to start. I was to take K.'s
things in a canoe to Little Rock, while he was to follow
on horseback. But the 4th of July approached,
on which day a farmer on the Fourche le Fave was

220 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

going to give a grand entertainment — or frolic, as it is
called — in hopes of being chosen as a member of the
legislature at the next election. "\Ye decided on waiting
to be present at it.

These frolics generally take place in Spring. When
a farmer calls his neighbors together to collect and
bum all the wood he has cut down, it is called a " log
rolling frolic ; " and when the women assemble to sew
together a number of different colored patches, it is
called a " quilting frolic ; " and in the evening, there is
generally a dance, or a game of forfeits.

I had hitherto never been present at any of these
frolics, for I had rather avoided the throng of men;
but as I was about to return to the woods, where I
should perhaps see nothing of social life for months, I
resolved to see men enjoy themselves for once.

The 4tli of July arrived, and at about ten o'clock in
the morning I lounged towards the place of destina-
tion, leaving my rifle at home. The strong attraction
of some whortleberries detained me some time on the
road, so that I did not arrive till noon. Here all was
in movement; the whole neighborhood had assem-
bled, and the rough backwoodsmen formed many strange
groups; some in hunting-shirts, like myself; some in
woollen homespun coats — but the greater number with-
out their upper garments. Several fires were lighted,
and cooking was going on in various modes, while, in a
shady place near the house, a group of women were
occupied in boiling a " powerful long coffee."

The sound of a solitary fiddle had been perceptible
at a distance, and sure enough, when I arrived, I
found dancing going on amongst the younger folk, in

A BACKWOODS "FROLIC." 221

one of the wings of the double house. I had never
succeeded in acquiring the dances of my own country,
much less the extraordinary movements of those of
America; so I amused myself with looking on, and
watching the arrivals, who thronged in from all ends
and corners of the State. A great number of the young
women were light and graceful figures, and looked very
interesting on horseback, their cheeks flushed with their
quick ride. But they seemed as if they were going on
a pilgrimage, instead of coming to a ball, — for each fair
dame had a bundle of tolerable size at her saddle-bow ;
some of them were already known to me, and I assisted
them to alight.

Meantime a long table was laid out before the house,
and surrounded with chairs, benches, &c. ; but as it was
impossible for all to find seats at once, the ladies were
accommodated first, and waited upon by the gentlemen.
The dinner consisted of roast beef, roast pork, potatoes,
sweet potatoes, maize bread, cakes, and coffee and milk,
and went off very well. Rutkin had brought a case of
wine for the ladies, which was soon emptied. After
dinner, a speech was made to the assembled public,
in honor of the birth-day of the United States, and
then dancing commenced again. Picturesque groups
w^ere formed here and there, occupied in various ways.
In one place, a party of strong-built, sun-burnt figures
lounged at full length on the grass, relating their shoot-
ing adventures ; further on, two figures, astride a fallen
tree, were playing a game of cards ; in another place,
a party leaping with a heavy stone in each hand, to
give them more impetus ; and a row of big fellows
Avere taking their siesta under the trees, only moving
19*

222 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

to avoid the too intrusive rays of the sun, as he de-
clined towards the west. Ivean and I sauntered about
amongst the various groups, and occasionally visited
the ball-room — if the interior of a log-house, about
sixteen feet by twenty, can be so called. The air
within was hot, almost to suffocation, but the sight
was at times too pretty, at times too comic to be quick-
ly deserted. Indeed, most of the girls, beating time
with their little feet in jigs, reels, and hornpipes, were
pretty enough to chain to the spot any worshipper of
natural beauty. My attention was soon attracted by
an American ; — tall, very thin, and rather weak in the
knee-joints ; — he Avas buttoned up in a dark-blue dress
coat, with light-blue seams, and yellow buttons, — a
long roll of tobacco stuck out from one of his pockets
which, in the energy of his jumps, he occasionally
kicked w^ith his heels; to prevent its being damaged,
he therefore transferred it to the breast of his coat : the
best of the figure Avas the cravat, Avhicli Avas so formed,
that his head looked like a cup placed in a very large
and deep saucer ; his chin was never in sight, and as
he jumped, mouth, nose, and eyes disa]3peared behind
the black bulwark.

Tow^ards evening I joined in a game of cards.
Whiskey bottles passed round, and many of the party
were right merry. Having had enough of cards, I
returned to the dancing, Avhich had undergone some
interruption; but the slmll tones of the violino solo
were again heard, as I squeezed through the crowd at
the door, into one of the corners right opposite to the
musician. This functionary was in a rather capricious
humor passing abruptly from tlie wildest allegro to

RELAYS OF FIDDLERS. 223

the most dolorous of the dolefuls, and then breaking
off suddenly to ask me for a quid of tobacco. On my
answering that I had none, he inflicted a couple of
rough strokes on his poor instrument, expressed, in
coarse language, a most disagreeable wish respecting
the eyes of all the company, on account of the dryness
of his throat, which had only had the contents of two
bottles of whiskey down it, looked wildly round, began
to cry, and fell sobbing on the neck of the thin man in
the blue coat, burying his head in the large cravat.
He was seized by the arms and legs, and unceremo-
niously carried out.

Dancing, of course, ceased during this little inter-
mezzo, and one of the party oifered to find a sober
fiddler ; but as the amusement would have been inter-
rupted too long by waiting for him, a tall lad placed
himself in front of the chimney, turned up his sleeves
with the utmost gravity, bent his knees a little, and
began slapping them in time with the palms of his
hands ; in two minutes all was going on with as much
spirit as before.

At length the promised musician arrived, not how-
ever in the promised condition ; but a connoisseur near
me remarked that he would do till twelve o'clock.

To my astonishment, I observed several of the young
ladies m white dresses, whom I was almost sure I had
seen before in dark dresses ; but, as I never paid much
attention to such things, I thought I must have been
mistaken. An American, however, told me that I
was quite right, and that most of them had already
changed their dresses three times ; and, if I kept a look-
out, he continued, I should see that some of them

224 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

would change again. This, indeed, was the case.
Some changed their dresses five times between noon
and the following morning. It would be as incorrect
to dance for a whole night in the same dress as in
Europe to aj^pear without gloves, which latter articles
were thought quite unnecessary here.

A farmer, who lived about eight miles lower down
the Fourche le Fave, promised me an old canoe to
cany K.'s things to Little Rock, and said, that when I
got there I might set it adrift, as it was not worth
cutting up ; so I settled to go home with him next
morning to bring the canoe back.

A little after twelve the old American's proj^hecy
came to pass, and the second fiddler Avas carried out
and laid on the grass, while a third was soon found to
taj^his place. By this time I was tired and sleepy,
so"^ stretched myself under a tree, with my head on
an old grindstone, and, in spite of the hard pillow and
squeaking fiddle, I slept soundly till morning.

When the sun sent his hot rays over the trees into
the clearing, dancing was still going on, and the
ground was covered with sleeping figures. Prepara-
tions were soon made for departure. The horses,
which had been tied to the bushes or fence, or driven
into an enclosure, and had been well supplied with
maize, were quickly saddled, and troop after troop of
men and women disappeared in the thick green forest.
I started with the farmer and his wife, the indefatigable
fiddlestick working away as long as we w^ere within
hearing.

I found the canoe ; and the good man was quite right
when he said that it was not worth cutting up.

CHASING A WOLF WITH A CANOE. 225

None but a person accustomed to such craft would
have ventured to step into it. It was nothing more
than the roughly hollowed trunk of a tree, about ten
feet long by eighteen inches wide ; however, it an-
swered my purpose, and, provided with a hght paddle,
I set out on my return, which, though only eight miles
by land, was at least twenty by water.

The sun was just dipping behind the tips of the
trees ; the air, which had been oppressively hot all day,
was somewhat cooler. I was going slowly up the
stream with long easy strokes of the paddle, under the
shadow of the overhanging willows, when, about 100
paces before me, I saw four wolves playing together on
a bank of gravel, jumping in and out of the water, and
rolling over each other like puppies. They did not
see me, and I paddled silently to the side of the river
Avhere they were playing, ran the canoe on the sand,
took the paddle, hardly knowing exactly what I
intended, and crept stealthily along towards the unsus-
pecting wolves, a projecting rock hiding me from their
sight. But wolves have a fine scent, and just as I was
raising my head cautiously, they all four sprang into
the tMcket. I returned disappointed to my canoe, and
continued my voyage. On arriving close to a cane-
brake, about 100 yards further on, I heard a rustling,
and caught hold of the bough of a tree near me, to
keep the canoe as still as possible, when an immense
wolf, as black as pitch, with a white star on his breast,
came out of the canes, apparently with the intention
of swimming across to join his companions. When he
caught sight of me, he turned his head from side to side
hke a dog. As I remained quite motionless, but with

226 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

my eyes steadily fixed on him, he took courage, walked
mto the water, and began to swim across about fifteen
yards ahead of the canoe. I let him gain the middle
of the stream, which may have been about sixty yards
wide, when I gave the canoe a good shove ahead, and
paddling as hard as I could, I gained fast on the sur-
prised wolf. In the first moment, not knowing which
shore to make for, he turned up stream, giving me thus
a great advantage over him. But he soon found out his
mistake, and turned in his first direction, this time
gaining an advantage over me, because my clumsy
craft was not easily turned. He had about twenty
yards to swim, and we both tried hard which should
first reach the shore. The bank was still a few feet
distant, when I came alongside of the beast, which
was swimming desperately for its life, and, forgetting
tkfe ticklish nature of my craft, I rose up to give him a
blow across the spine with the sharp edge of the paddle,
meaning then to attack him with my knife, as I was
without my rifle. He was close beside me, and looked
up at me as I raised the paddle, when the vile canoe
slipped from under me ; I lost my balance, and fell into
the water just clear of the wolf, who touched ^Tl^ttom
at the same moment, and at once began shaking
himself. The water was not deep, but I was wet
through, and vexed at seeing my j^rey escape, just as I
had made sure of him. A wolf's scalp is valued at
three dollars in Arkansas. I had moreover the addi-
tional pleasure of swimming some way down the river
after the canoe,

I arrived at Haller's next day without further ad-
venture, embarked Kean's things, taking also all my

ANOTHER SHOOTING EXCURSION. 227

skins with me, as I could sell them better at Little Rock
than at Fourche le Fave. I gave the canoe to an old
German, wlio was fond of fishing, and who had to fish
himself out of the water the first time he tried her.

I soon returned to the settlement, and a few days
afterwards took leave of Kean, who, with a promise to
write to me, set off on horseback towards the south.
My arrangements were soon made, and on the following
morning I set off up the bank of the river towards the
mountains, intending to shoot all the summer. Kelfer,
who had already received us so hospitably, was kind
enough to offer me the loan of a horse for the summer.
I thankfully accepted his kindness, and rode off in
good spirits, not knoAving exactly where ; but that Avas
always one of the least of my cares, so that I Avas only
in motion, and I soon found a good place for sport. I ,
learnt that there was very good shooting ground higher
up the riA'er, near the grave-lick, so called because tAvo
Indians Avere buried there, Avho had been killed by a
panther. Here I joined an American, named Hogarth,
Avho lived in the neighborliood, and Avas a keen sports-
man. After trying the Avaters of the Fourche le FaA^e,
Ave Avent to the sources of the Washita ; but the forests
not having been burnt for many years, Avere so thickly
overgroAvn Avith underAvood, that it was impossible to
find the deer, or to shoot game enough to live upon.

We had been shooting for about five Aveeks, Avhen one
morning, as Ave Avere riding side by side, I felt all at once
giddy and unAvell. The evening before, aa^c had been
overtaken by a thunderstorm, and my clothes Avere still
damp. This attack came on so suddenly, tliat I had
hardly time to say I Avas ill, and Hogarth turning round,

228 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

observed that I was very pale, when eveiy thing swam
before my eyes, and turned black and blue ; and I fell
senseless off the horse before Hogarth could lay hold of
me. I recovered my senses in a few mmutes, but was
so ill that it was with great difficulty I could mount my
horse, and keep myself to the saddle. We had, however,
not far to go to the house of a Mr. Collmar, and I held
on by the mane and pommel, though lolling from side
to side like a drunken man.

The house was nothmg more than a shed formed of
boards, but the good people received me very hospitably,
and attended me kindly for the two days that I lay
delirious. On the third day I was able to be lifted
on horseback, and we returned over the mountains that
divide the left arm of the Fourche le Fave from the
main stream, to Hogarth's house ; he would not let me
nlove till I was tolerably recovered.

At no great distance from hence, lived an old back-
woodsman, named Slowtrap, with whom I was well
acquainted, and who showed so much kindness and
good feeling that I became quite attached to him. Still
I longed for German society; besides, I had kept
Kelfer's horse too long, and would not abuse his good
nature. Therefore, though still unwell, I rode from
Hogarth's about the end of Aucrust, towards Kelfer's,
who not only received me with kindness, but treated me
quite as one of his own family.

He had been accustomed to a quiet comfortable life
in his early days, having been a clergyman in Germany,
but he had shaken off the superintendent yoke of his
native country, exchanging it for the independent life
of a farmer in the American forests, and was happy

THE SESSIONS IN THE BACKWOODS. 229

and contented in his family circle. His young wife
was quite an example of household virtue: they had
four very fine children. He produced almost every
thing that he required, and though in liis youth un-
accustomed to hard work, he cultivated his land alone,
and was not behind any American in the use of his
axe; his cattle and pigs were among the best in the
place.

AYhen first I arrived I felt very wretched and miser-
able, but the kind attentions of Mrs. Kelfer restored
me after a time ; I managed to help a little on the farm,
and now and then took a turn with my rifle, and shot a
deer or a turkey.

The sessions were held about this time at Fourche
le Fave, and several advocates, some from Little Rock,
some from the neighborhood, assembled at Perryville,
and quartered themselves on the farmers. Kelfer
received one, who was a gentlemanly young man, and
he (Kelfer) had cases to settle with some of the bad
characters in the vicinity. There was now bustle
enough in the usually quiet place, and the little town
of Perryville, about two miles off, consisting of one
little shop, and the dwelling of the ferryman, who was
also postmaster, was the assembling place of the
county.

The shop, which formed one half of the town, be-
longed to a German, who was too good a specimen of a
certain class of his countrymen to be passed by without
notice. Bockenheim, or as the Americans called him,
Buckingham, must, I should think, have been a manu-
facturer of birch brooms, as he showed extraordinary
talent for that branch of the fine arts ; but he endeav-
20

230 WILD SrORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

ored to gain his livelihood in the general retail line,
and he drove a pretty good trade in Arkansas, where
he had settled himself by chance, and where the people
were forced to deal Avith him, as his was at first the only
shop. Rutkin, however, interfered with his business,
and at first did him much harm, until his proud
domineering manner drove all his customers away,
excepting those who thought to gain advantage over
him. Bockenheim spoke such a jargon that it was
impossible to make out whether he was speaking
Enghsh, German, or Indian. A German immigrant
would never have understood him, and the Americans
were obliged to guess at his meaning ; but for all that,
he managed very well, and as he had gained a good
sum by hi^ trade, he naturally enough ascribed it all
to his own wisdom.

The sessions were held in the other half of the town,
the postmaster giving up the half of his house for
the purpose, as the court-house was yet to be built.
The judge, who travelled this circuit, had come from
Little Rock with several advocates, and took his place
by the chimney in a cane chair. Two tables were
placed together in the middle of the room, though
rather nearer the chimney, round which the advocates
and the clerk of the court took their places. A case of
assault was first brought forward ; the jury, who must
be householders, were chosen, and sworn, and placed
themselves on a long bench against the wall. The
proceedings were opened by the prosecuting attorney,
who directed the attention of the jury to the various
laws enacted against this crime, and then called his
witnesses. He was followed by the advocate for the

AN INCONVENIENT COURT-HOUSE. 231

defence, who called his witnesses, and concluded with
an address to the jury, in which he did not fail to praise
the soundness and acuteness of their judgment. The
prosecuting attorney then rose again, and endeavored
to disparage the statements made on the opposite side,
ending with the remark, that, " in the whole course of
his life, he had never known so flagrant a case." It
was now the judge's turn, who explained to the jury
the state of the law applicable to the case, and warned
them that if they had any doubts, the law prescribes
that the case should be decided in favor of the de-
fendant. The jury ought now to have withdrawn to
another and distant room ; but as, unfortunately, there
was no other room, distant or near, to be had at
Perryville, and as the pouring rain prevented their
deliberating in the open air, as at other times, the
horses were turned out of the stable, and the twelve
jurymen occupied their place. The next case was that
of a respectable farmer, who was accused of having shot
another's cow, taken it home, and eaten it. The case
excited considerable interest, as it was stated to have
occurred several years ago, and the penalty was whip-
ping and imprisonment, which has since been altered.
After a long deliberation in the stable, the jury returned
a verdict of " Not guilty." The sessions lasted several
days, and the crowd dropped off by degrees.

At this time of the year, before the maize is quite
ripe, being soft but no longer milky, while last year's
store is nearly exhausted, the farmer rubs the grain on
a grater, generally made out of an old coffee-pot, in
which holes are punched with a nail, and thus procures
a fine damp flour, containing all the saccharine qualities

232 "VYILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

of the plant, and making excellent bread. This
grating is rather hard work. One day when Kelfer
had grated some maize in front of the house, and the
fine bright yellow flour was heaped up on a clean
napkin, a juvenile pig came by, and playfully seized
the corner of the napkin, throwing all the flour into the
dust.

I had received no letter from Kean, but heard that
he had joined a young German in the purchase of a
boat, and was gone into Louisiana. I almost regretted
that I had not accompanied them ; but my passion for
shooting impelled me in a different direction, and I
longed to be in the Ozark mountains, of which I had
heard so much, and which were only 150 miles off. AYeek
after week passed away, and I was desirous of helping
Kelfer with his approaching harvest. I passed a great
part of my time in the forest with my dog Bearsgrease,
the same that I had brought from Little Rock, and which
had grown to a fine powerful animal. I was still unde-
termined whether to go north or south, when an old
acquaintance arrived at Kelfer's to pass the night, and
decided the question.

It was old Slowtrap, who had formerly lived near
the mouth of Fourche le Fave, but had since removed
higher up, not far from Hogarth's. He had a sack full
of all sorts of articles, including a half bushel of salt
which he had bought at Little Rock, and can-ied across
his horse. He afterwards told me that he had trans-
ported all his family and goods on horseback, and
then I remembered having once met him riding along
with four chairs and a spinning-wheel. The spinning-
wheel having made the horse shy, he had hung it on a

DEPARTURE FROM KELFER's FARM. 233

tree, intending to come back for it ; meantime a back-
woodsman had set fire to the dry leaves in the neighbor-
hood, and just as he arrived he saw it, burnt through
and through, fall in two parts into the fire below.

A man will sometimes move with his wife and chil-
dren, and all his goods, further into the forest, if the
grass about his house gets thin, so that he would be
forced to cultivate a little more maize for his cattle.

Slowtrap spoke much of his father-in-law, who was
a keen bear-shooter, and made me long for the moun-
tains more than ever, by affirming that he intended to
go himself in a few weeks, that I might go with him,
and that he would introduce me to the old gentleman.
This drove all thoughts of the south out of my head,
and we settled on marching the following morning.
There is a saying that " short hair is soon brushed ; "
my baggage was ready in a few minutes.

I was sorry to part with the Kelfers, who had been
so kind to me, and treated me as one of their family ;
but I hoped soon to see them again.

The November morning broke cold and disagreeable
when I started with my companion. My baggage was
not very heavy ; I had on deer-skin leggings, and moc-
casins, a light hunting-shirt of summer stuff, secured
by a broad leather belt, bearing my tomahawk on the
right, and hunting-knife on the left side, and a tin cup
behind. Spare powder and lead were rolled up in my
blanket, with a small bag of roasted coffee, and a clean
shirt; a powder-horn and a leather shot-pouch com-
jjleted my equipment. My companion, though an old
sportsman, was not equipped for shooting ; but he was
pretty well loaded with other things. As I have
20*

234 TTILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

already stated, he formerly lived near the mouth of
the Fourche le Fave, but had moved about fifty miles
further west, carrying his kitchen utensils, tools, bed-
ding, &c., all on horseback, and driving his cattle and
pigs before him to his new home. Difficult as such a
move appears, I know of a family which moved three
times in one year.

My old friend cut a glorious figure, as he rode be-
side me. He was about six feet tall, and as large
boned as a fine figure would allow. A pair of thoroughly
honest eyes looked out of a good-humored, weather-
beaten face, and were in constant motion, giving great
animation to the massive figure. Nobody had ever
seen him laugh, but those Avho are well acquainted
with him say, that a little Avidening twitch of the
mouth, and a slight closing of the corner of the left
eye, are certain evidences of good-humor; neither
had anybody ever seen him go faster than at a quick
walk — he seemed to consider it beneath his dignity to
run. A well-worn black coat, with large pockets and
flaps, was thrown over his shoulders, and, notwith-
standing the rough weather, his legs were cased in a
pair of thin, light-colored trowsers, which rumpled
up high enough to show a muscular calf above a short
sock; a pair of shoes of his own making covered his
feet, while a hat, of any shape but the original, and
that had been black, covered his head. The articles
in one end of his bag were not heavy enough to
balance tlie salt in the other end ; so, to maintain the
equilibrium, he was obHged to lean to the left side,
and as he had a large basket, containing a Muscovy
duck, on the right arm, the horse seemed to be between

ROAD-MAKING IN THE BACKWOODS. 235

him and the basket. An unloaded gun, that he had
accepted in payment of a long-standing debt, lay across
the pommel. He kept me constantly amused with his
stories, as we jogged along the county road.

When a county road has to be cut, a director "is
appointed, who is authorized to assemble all the male
population of the county from the age of eighteen to
forty -five; and these stout sons of the forest soon
make a clearance among the trees, and roll their trunks
out of the way. But holes and other hinderances are
left in a state of nature, if there is the slightest chance
that a wagon can pass.

Our road led us near the river, though we seldom
saw it, on account of the canes and rushes through
which it flows ; moreover, we kept to the heights as
much as possible, for the sake of dry ground. The
main course of the river is from west to east, with very
good land on both banks, forming excellent winter
pasture, while the hills, also running east and west,
afford equally good summer pasture amongst the tliick
pine forests.

It was long since the road had been inspected. Large
broken boughs and fallen trees lay across it, impeding
our progress. According to Slowtrap, this was quite
natural. He maintained that a tree never would fall
any other way than across a road, if it could only reach
it, just as a sweet gum tree always fell on a fence, if it
stood near enough. We passed a school as we went
along — one of the usual log-houses — but with a plank
inserted between two of the logs to serve for a desk.
The more distant scholars come on horseback, and tie
up their horses to the fence during school hours. Of

236 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR AVEST.

course tliey bring their dinners with them. These
forest schools seldom pretend to teach more than read-
ing, writing, and arithmetic; if they attempt geo-
graphy, it is confined to that of the United States. In
tl* swamps I once saw a teacher giving lessons in
writing ; some of his scholars were eighteen and twenty
years old, yet could not read what they wrote, but
copied the letters as we should copy hieroglyphics. It
w^as just noon as we passed ; at this hour master and
scholars make it a rule to play at ball if the w^eather
will allow, so that they may return with greater zeal to
their spelling. The scholars whom we saw were nearly
aU grown up.

Hitherto the weather had been fine ; but clouds
gathered in the west, and soon turned to rain. As we
Avere in no great hurry, and as Slowtrap said that one
of his greatest friends lived about half a mile from the
road, we turned to the left, and soon halted before a
block-house, whose chimney smoke indicated a glorious
fire \vithin. Old Bahrens, to whom the house belonged,
was not at home, but his two sons, lads fifteen and ten
years of age, gave us a warm reception. "We found the
room occupied by three other men, who made room
for us, and the fire soon restored warmth to our half-
frozen limbs. Two of the strangers were talking
earnestly about the races, which were shortly to be
held in the neighborhood, while the third seemed to
be very tired, for he was fast asleep in his chair.

As it grew later and later without any signs of
supper, and there was no woman in the house, Ave all
set to Avork, took maize out of the corn crib, and began
to grind. But Avhat a mill ! It Avas above an hour

VISIT TO BAIIRENS. 237

before we had flour enough for a tolerable meal ; we
then moistened it with water, put it in a flat iron pan,
covered it, and set it on the ashes to bake. Millc and
smoked deer-hams formed the remainder of the spread.
Having, with some ditficulty, roused our sleeping com-
panion, we commenced upon the viands, and even
our sleepy friend seemed to have banished all other
thoughts in his anxiety to make them disappear with
the utmost possible despatch ; but his last mouthful
was hardly out of sight, when his eyes became for a
moment fixed, the lids fell, and he was again in a
deep sleep.

The whole party were rather tired, and as there
were no spare beds in the house, S. and I spread our
blankets ; the boys gave us two more to cover us, and
all five were soon peaceably extended, one beside the
other, in waiting for the next day's sun.

We were up at daybreak, and, to avoid another
grind at the old mill, for which I had conceived the
greatest respect, we started before breakfast. The
horse, having had a good supply of food, was again
saddled and bridled, the bag with salt, &c., laid across,
my old comrade climbed up, I handed him his duck
basket and old shooting iron, cast my blanket over my
shoulder, and shaking hands with our two new ac-
quaintances, the third being still asleep, we went off to
the west for the abode of my companion. The weather
had cleared up, and with light heart and light step we
jogged along the well-beaten track ; Bearsgrease snuffing
the trails of the deer which had crossed the road in
the course of the night. He stopped at every fresh
trail, asking with entreating eyes for leave to follow

238 WILD SPORTS IN TUE FAR WEST.

it; but we had no notion of shooting just then, and
kept straight on. As the day advanced, our stomachs
began to reproach us for such unfriendly treatment,
when, about 200 yards in front, we saw a gang of wild
turkeys running along the road. One word of encour-
agement to Bearsgrease, and he seemed to fly rather than
run after the long-legged turkeys, who soon finding that
their legs would not save them, took to their wings,
and flew heavily to the nearest trees.

As fast as I could I had followed up the dog, who
had singled out a turkey-cock, and was bounding and
barking round the tree in which he had taken refuge,
and whence, with outstretched neck, he was turning his
head first to one side then to the other, intently watching
the motions of Bearsgrease ; I was enabled to approach
unperceived and knock him over. Meantime S. had
lighted a jolly fire, and we sat rather too long over our
meal, considering, or rather not considering, that we
had a bad bit of road before us, and that the weather
began to look threatening.

For half a mile the road led through the '' mounds,"
— small hills, Avhich are very frequent in this part of
Arkansas, principally on low ground. There can be
no doubt but that they have been formed by the hand
of man, as they are in regular rows, from twenty to
forty yards apart, six or seven feet high, and about
twelve feet in diameter. The one in the middle of a
row is always of an oval form, while the others are
round. There are sometimes from twelve to twenty
rows, with from ten to twenty and twenty -five mounds
in a row, all at regular distances. I have spoken with
several Americans who had dug into them, in the hope

HABITUAL RESERVE OP THE AMERICANS. 239

of discovering treasures ; but they only found broken
pottery, burnt wood, and now and then a bone. They
are situated in the most fertile soil of the State, and the
Indians know nothing about them.

At length the swamps were behind us. "We crossed
a small prairie, j)assed an old buffalo salt-hck, and
arrived at Slowtrap's dwelling, planted on a spur of the
hills which ran out into the plains. It was in no way
different from the usual log-houses : sixteen feet square,
from nine to ten high, with an enormous fireplace,
no window, and a weighted roof; close by was a field
of about seven acres, planted with maize. His wife
and children stood at the door as we arrived, and
although I knew that they were much attached to each
other, and lived happily together, and he had been
about three weeks absent, not the least word was
exchanged that could be construed into a greeting.
" Take my saddle in," said S. to liis eldest son, a boy
of eight years old, who was leaning on the fence,
looking at us as if v/e were perfect strangers, in whom
he had no concern. At last, when the horse was cared
for, and all things in ' their places, S. went into the
house, took a seat, and lifted his youngest child into his
lap ; — and then he said, " How do you do, all of you ? "
This distant reserve of the Americans, so prevalent
even in their own families, often struck cold on my
heart, and made me regret my native land. Man and
wife are often as reserved towards each other as two
strangers who meet for the first time, and care not
about meeting again. I have seen Americans leave
home to be absent for months, without shaking hands
with their wives, or saying " Good-by," and it is the

240 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

same on their return. I must believe, for the honor
of the Americans, that this reserve is mere custom, and
does not proceed from any real want of affection, as I
have seen proofs of deep feeling amongst them, but it
always made a disagreeable impression on me. But still
worse was it to see Germans aping this fashion, as often
haf)pened to be my lot.

When quietly seated, I took a survey of the dwelling.
In two corners stood two large beds, covered with
good stout quilts of many colors; between the beds,
about four feet from the ground, was a shelf hold-
ing a few more quilts, and the linen of the family,
which was not over-abundant, comprising three or four
articles for each person. Under this shelf were two
"gums," trunks of a hollow tree, about a foot in di-
ameter, and two and a half or three feet high, with a
piece of board nailed on the bottom. They are applied
to all sorts of purposes : I have seen them used as bee-
hives ; these, I subsequently found, were one for flour
and the other for salt. Two wooden hooks over the
door supported my host's long rifle, with its powder-
horn and shot-pouch. A shelf held some shoemaker's
tools, leather &c.. Gun's Domestic Medicine, a family
Bible, the Life of Washington, the Life of Marion,
Franklin's Maxims, an almanac, and a well-worn map
of the United States. Various files, awls, broken
knives, and a bullet-mould, were stuck into the crevices
of the logs near the fireplace. On the left of it were
two short shelves, with four plates, two cups, three
saucers, some tin pots, and a large coffee-pot, all as
bright and clean as possible. In the comer of the
fireplace was an iron pan with a cover, for baking

MECHANICAL IXGENUITY OF BACKWOODSMEN. 241

bread, and two saucepan?, one broken. Several joints
of smoked meat hung from the roof, surrounded hj
strips of dried pumpkin suspended on poles.

The above-named boy, a girl of ten, a blue-eyed,
flaxen-haired, rosy-cheeked girl of four, diligently-
munching a bunch of wild grapes, and the little one
on my friend's lap, formed the family ; they all looked
shyly at me, though they had seen me six months
before, so that I was not quite a stranger to them.

We had agreed to set off for the mountains at once —
but S. found some business to detain him at home, so
it was put off till the next week, and I amused myself
in the mean time as well as I could ; and as I was
acquainted with the countr}^, I took my rifle, and paid
a few visits to old acquaintances, returning to Slow-
trap's on the 12th December, partly on account of
the cold Avet weather, and j^artly to mend my mocca-
sins, which had suffered severely from the sharp stones
of these mountains. Slowtrap happened to be mend-
ing a pair of shoes at the same time. It is a general
practice with the backwoodsmen to make their own
shoes, and a regular shoemaker is a scarce article in
this part of the world. As they are thrown on their
own resources from their youth, these Americans are
very skilful in providing for their necessary wants, and
are particularly expert with the axe, w hich they begin
to wield as soon as their arms are strono; enouorh to lift
it. They use it for a variety of purposes — building
houses, laying roofs and floors, forming the chimneys
and doors, the only other tool used being an auger;
and nothing amuses them more tlian to see the awkward-
ness of a new comer, when first he handles an axe.
21

242 AVILD SPORTS IN THE FAR AVEST.

Besides making their own shoes, they understand enough
of tanning to prepare the leather; they make their
own ploughs, dig wells, &c. ; for all which operations
Europeans require so many different workmen.

As we sat together before the fire, there was no
difficulty in getting Slowtrap to relate some of his ad-
ventures with the Lidians in his early days. In the
evening we brought in some j^umpkins, and as we cut
them into thin rings to hang on the poles to dry he
began to speak in the following words of the perils he
had been exposed to in Kentucky, and his naiTow
escapes from the Indians : " Kentucky was at that time
a wilderness, Avhen my father, my uncle, and myself
arrived near the dwelling of Daniel Boone, to look
about for a spot that would suit us ; for Xorth Carolina,
where we then lived, began to be too populous, and a
man who wanted to shoot a turkey or partridge was
tired before he had walked half an hour, from the
number of fences he was obliged to climb over. I was
then just eighteen, as strong as a four-year-old bear,
and was delighted at the thought of meeting the
Indians. It was about this time of the year, and the
game we saw made our hearts bound : numbers of bears,
deer, and buffaloes; while the turkeys would hardly
get out of our way. It would tire you to tell you of
all the sport we had, for no country in the world could
boast of more game than Kentucky thirty years ago ;
but now it is no better there than it was then in North
Carolina, and five years hence, a man who wants to
shoot a bear in Arkansas, will have many a weary mile
to tramp. One evening we arrived at the edge of a cane-
brake, and as there was good feeding for the horses, we

A PRIZE — curly's mishap. 251

sifted of dried venison, slices of bacon, maize bread,
and coffee — a princely rej^ast for the forest, but we
hoped to have fresh meat on the morrow.

We breakfasted with the first gleam of light, fed the
dogs, and related stories till it was light enough to see
the sights on the muzzles of the rifles ; then taking our
preconcerted directions, we trod lightly and cautiously
over the dried leaves. A little before sunrise I heard
the crack of Curly's rifle ; a few minutes later a second
report, then a third. I stood still for about a quarter
of an hour, in case a frightened deer should bound past.
Nothing moved ; I continued my march. I had not
gone far when I saw a majestic buck at a walk. I
crept lightly to a right angle with his course ; when
about eighty yards off, I gave a hail : he stopped, and
my ball pierced his shoulder; after a few bounds, he
lay struggling in the yellow leaves. Bearsgrease rushed
after him, but finding him already dead, he only licked
the wound, and lay quietly beside him, waiting for his
Blmre of the prize. I took the skin and the two legs,
hanging the latter on a tree with the skin over them,
cut a few bits of the rest for Bearsgrease, leaving the
remainder for the wolves and vultures, and continued my
march. Soon after I heard a shot, about a hundred
yards off on the other side of a thick jungle, and pro-
ceeded towards the sound. It turned out to be Curly,
who had killed a turkey ; he was lying under a tree,
and told me, with a mournful visage, that, having
wounded a buck, he was following him over some loose
stones, when lie sprained his ankle, and could hardly
move, being obhged to leave the wounded deer to its
fate.

252 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR AVEST.

As we had traversed the country in a circle, we "svere
not far from our last night's camp. I helped him to it
as well as I could, and both being hungry, we roasted
the turkey. But Curly had lost all heart for shooting,
and, with the help of a big stick, limped slowly home-
wards, where he could lay up his leg to nurse. I could
not tear myself away so soon, and continued my sport
alone.

As the sky grew cloudy and threatening, I made a
tent of my blanliet, and collected wood enough to defy-
any quantity of rain that might fall. When all this
was arranged, I went to the tree wdiere I had left my
venison and skin, and to give Bearsgrease another feed
from the carcase. But I was too late ; the vultures
had left nothing but Ihe bones, and had torn the skin
on the tree, which, however, I was uv time to rescue,
and hanging it over my shoulders, with the legs safe in
my arms, I returned to my camp. Having made a
good fire, and roasted a slice of meat, the coffee being
all gone, and the bread reduced to one small piece, I
fed my dog, and lay down to repose. About midnight
I was awakened by a formidable thunderstorm. Bears-
grease began to howl dreadfully, and close behind me
an oak burst into flames. Flash followed flash, while
the thunder was incessant ; the whole forest seemed to
swim in a lake of fiery brimstone, the rain poured in
torrents, and the little stream swelled to a foaming
river. When the storm ceased, silence and darkness
took its place, only disturbed by the rustling of the
rain falling pei-pendicularly on the leaves. My blanket
protected me well ; I was perfectly dry, and soon fast
asleep again. Towards morning it cleared up, and

AN UNPLEASANT NOCTURNAL VISITOR. 253

the weather was the most glorious for shooting that
could possibly be imagined. I was on foot by daybreak,
and by ten o'clock I had three deer hanging to the
trees. My last night's repose havmg been broken by
the storm, and yesterday's and to-day's exertions having
fatigued me very much, I threw myself under a tree°
and enjoyed a delightful nap. The sun was near the
horizon when I awoke, and there was hardly time for
me to return to camp and collect wood before dark,
for the night threatened to be very cold; but it was
bright starlight, and my blanket was dry, -. so I rolled
myself comfortably in its folds.

I lay awake till past midnight, giving the reins to
my imagination ; and when I fell asleep I dreamed of
stretched deerskins, and that Bearsgrease was chasing
an immense buck, when his loud barking and howling
awoke me. I patted him to keep him quiet, and found
his hair all bristling up. I thought wolves must be
near us ; and hstening attentively, I heard the cautious
tread of some heavy beast over the dry frosty leaves.

I laid some dry fir branches, which were near me,
on the fire, to make it burn up bright, and placed
myself between it and the noise of the footsteps, in
order to distinguish the eyes of my untimely visitor,
and shoot him. Three times I caught sight of two
glowing balls, and from their rapid disappearance I
was convinced that I had to do with a panther. He
went round and round the fire several times, but never
close enough for me to distinguish his form; — and I
passed half an hour with my rifle at my cheek, in the
greatest anxiety, the dog pressing close to my side,
with all his nerves on the stretch, following the tread
22

254 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

of the panther, and giving a fearful howl every time
he passed across the wind.

The brute, not possessing courage enough to attack,
at length withdrew ; but I remained a good quarter of
an hour longer on the watch, till the dog, persuaded that
all was safe, had lain down again, when I followed his
example, wrapped myself in my blanket, and was soon
fast asleep.

The morning was bitterly cold ; and as I had nothing
on my feet but a pair of thin deer-skin moccasins, not
even stockings, I thought of a plan I had learned from
an old sportsman, and bathed my feet in the icy cold
water of the stream, dried them well, and put on my
moccasins. My feet were soon in a glow, and remauaed
warm all the morning.

I started at daylight, and followed the course of the
stream downwards ; but the bushes grew thicker and
thicker, and I was about returning to cross the hill to
another brook, when I caught sight of a noble stag in
the thicket on my right. I crept quickly and silently
round the bush to cut him off, when suddenly I heard
a most heart-rending cry from a deer. My first impulse
was to rush towards the sound, and on the first move-
ment I made for this purpose, Bearsgrease bounded for-
wards ; but I thought better of it, and a sharp whistle
stopped the dog in his career. A second fainter whistle
brought him to my side ; then, hiding behind a tree, I
reflected on what was best to be done.

The shriek certainly came from a deer, and nothing
but a panther could have caused it ; for if it had been
a wolf, all would not have been silent again so soon, as
a wolf could not have overpowered a deer so quickly.

SHOOTING A PANTHER. 255

Now, I liad often heard from Americans liow the
panther darts on his prey, kills it in an instant, and,
after eating his fill, buries or covers up the rest for a
future meal. I resolved to try and make sure of the
panther, and, if possible, to creep up to him unperceived.
I did not then know how difficult it was to outwit a
panther ; but this time fortune favored me.

After waiting about half an hour, I thought I might
make the attempt, and crept lightly and cautiously
towards the thicket ; the dog, well knowing my object,
crept as silently after me. Just as I gained the edge
of the thicket, and was looking out for the best place
to enter it with the least noise, I heard a light rustling.
My heart began to beat violently; the bush opened,
and my eyes encountered the fierce orbs of the pan-
ther. Doubtless, in the first moment of surprise he
did not know exactly what to do ; but his surprise did
not last long: a panther has a bad conscience, and
justly supposes a foe in every living being not belong-
ing to his own race ; and, crouching down about twenty
paces from me in the yellow grass, he was preparing
either to make a spring, or to hide himseif — I could
not tell which. But I was not idle ; during the time
he stooped, my arm had recovered its steadiness, the
rifle cracked, the animal made one spring upwards, and
fell dead to the earth. Bearsgrease seized him on the
instant, and seemed to take exquisite pleasure in shak-
ing the skin of his deadliest foe ; and he cast many a
longing look behind, when, at my command, he followed
up the panther's trail. "We soon came to the place
where he had killed the buck, and covered it with
leaves ; the skin had been so mauled that it was useless,

256 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

but I stripped off the panther's, and set out on my
return to my camp, deciding to go back to old Slow-
trap's, and to commence my march to the Ozark moun-
tains as soon as possible.

On arriving at the camp I tied up the skin with
strips of bark, and although I took very little of the
venison with me, I had a heavy load. I reached
Curly's in the evening. As it was nearly dark, I had
no fancy for crossing the river at night, and creeping
for half an hour through a cane-brake, with the chance
of getting my eyes poked out; so I remained with
Curly. The house was small, but it contained two
large bedsteads, one table, three chairs, two plates, and
one cup ; a hole in the wall did duty for the absent
window.

We passed a very pleasant evening. Curly sang
w^ell, and gave us a number of Irish comic songs, till,
tired with laughing and the severe exertions of the
day, I rolled myself in my blanket, and laid myself by
the fire. I was up at daybreak, and the river being
low, waded through, hastened to Slowtrap's, and spread
out my skin. Slowtrap' was out shooting wild fowl,
which had collected in such numbers on a little river
running into the Fourche le Fave, that I never saw
any thing like it ; they positively covered the water, and
a good double-barrelled gun might have done immense
havoc, particularly as the steep banks favored the
approach to within thirty yards of the ducks.

Supposing the old fellow not to be far off, I took my
rifle, and lounged down to the brink of the river ; not
with any intention of shooting, as my rifle had too large
a bore ; but I came upon a string of ducks, not more

A NEW HUNTING EXCURSION. 2G1

saddle off his horse, and laid it under one of the beds,
tied up the horse to a young tree, shoved a roughly-
hewn trough before him, which I filled with maize, and
his eager munching proved how well he was satisfied
with all the proceedings. CoUmar had come over the
hill to invite us to assist in erecting a new house. He
had collected all the logs on the spot, and now, accord-
ing to American custom, was calhng on his neighbors
to come and assist in raising them. S. was his nearest
neighbor but one, and lived nine miles distant; the
next dwelt eight miles further.

I promised to come at all events, but it was against
Slowtrap's habit to promise any thing two days in ad-
vance. Besides, his wife and his youngest child were
both unwell. "We shortened the evening with stories
and anecdotes. Collmar was off w^ith the dawn to pre-
pare for the following day. I took my rifle and lounged
into the forest with Bearsgrease to look for a turkey.
He drove a gang into the trees, at less than half a mile
from the house ; but the wood was so thick and over-
grown, that before I could come up to see which trees
they had perched in, they had so hidden amongst the
branches that there was not a trace of them to be seen.
I therefore whistled for my dog, and hid behind a tree
to await the time when they would think themselves
safe, and begin to call. I had not long to wait; erelong
they began to cry, and about a hundred yards in front
of me, a large cock raised himself on a branch, where
he had nestled without my perceiving him. "Without
trying to get nearer, I took aim at once, and hit the
turkey, which fell flapping from the tree ; but the bushes
were so thick that I should have lost him, had not

262 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

Bearsgrease dashed in with the greatest intrepidity, in
sj^ite of thorns and creepers. The turkey, whose fall
had been broken by the wild vines, had no sooner
touched the ground, than he made a quick run for a
cane-brake, and disappeared, with Bearsgrease bound-
ing and barking on his trail. On forcing my way
through the canes, I witnessed an interesting struggle
between the two. The dog was still young, and the
turkey a fellow of twenty or twenty-two pounds ; and
Bearsgrease, knowing that he must not injure him,
tried to hold him with his fore paws, whilst the turkey,
which was only wounded in the left wing, constantly
succeeded in escaping, and running a yard or two be-
fore the dog could pin him again. After watching them
for some time, I put an end to the struggle by cutting
off the turkey's head with my knife, and carried him
home. I then saddled Slowtrap's old pony, and set off
over the mountain to gain CoUmar's house before night,
leaving Bearsgrease behind me.

The hills and rivers south of the Arkansas almost all
run, Hke that river, from west to east, and the hills
have a peculiar formation. The middle row or back-
bone ridge is the highest, and generally on either side
are two or three lower ranges of hills, running parallel
to the main range, and sloping more and more towards
the plain. All the smaller rivers which run into the
Arkansas from this side, have such hills between them.
I rode slowly up and down these hills looking out for
game. I had left my hunting-shirt behind, and a
sharp north wind began to chill me a little ; but I did
not like covering myself with the blanket which lay
across my saddle. Suddenly I saw a fox watching me

THE FOX — "stole aayay.'* 263

from the side of a hill beyond a little brook. I raised
myself slowly in the saddle, and fired ; but my hand
shook so with the cold that I missed him. After the
report, when the smoke cleared away, the fox had dis-
appeared ; I jumped off and ran to the place where he
had been standing, to see if I could find traces of the
ball — finding none I reloaded, and returned to the
horse, which was quietly grazing. With my left foot in
the stirrup, and in the act of throwing my right leg
over the saddle, what was my astonishment to see the
fox in the same place as before, looking as unconcerned
as if nothing had happened ! I had to turn my horse
before I could take aim, and the fox turned at the same
time. A loud whistle made him stop for a moment to
see what it was ; he w^as off again before I could fire,
but not quick enough to escape my ball. The jump
he gave showed he was hit ; so, throwing myself off
the horse, I hastened after him. When he heard the
bushes rustling, he stood still to listen. This allowed
me to approach him : the shot had broken his left hind
leg ; and, throwing away every thing that hindered me
in running, I darted after him. Dragging his wounded
Jeg, he limped along the side of the hill ; but, finding
that I gained on him, he turned towards the summit.
I had run for a good half mile, and too much out of
breath to breast the hill, I soon lost sight of him.
Heated and tired, I returned to the horse, picking up
my rifle, powdjer-horn, pouch, and cap, by the way,
enveloped myself in my blanket, and mounted my
patient steed.

I soon crossed the highest summit of the range, and
running down by the side of a small stream southwards

264 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

from the hills, in about an hour ^nd a half arrived at
the place where Collmar's house was to be built, and
where some of those who had arrived before me were
occupied in cutting the logs.

The ground was already prepared and planks cut ;
other neighbors arrived from time to time with their
dogs and guns, and the clearing was filled with laughing,
talkative groups.

The horses were hobbled near some reeds, with
plenty of maize shaken down in a dry place. In the
evening, we all assembled at Collmar's hut, or rather
shed, formed of boards fastened together, supported by
poles, and containing three roughly-hewn bedsteads, a
weaver's loom, and two spinning-wheels. It may have
been about fifty feet long and twenty wide, with the
floor as nature supplied it. Rifles and saddles lay
about ; three pairs of deer hams adorned one corner,
^nd dried pumpkins hanging to poles, formed the sky to
this paradise.

Immense blazing logs were heaped up in one black-
ened corner, and from time to time it was necessary to
throw a pail of water over the fire to prevent the
planks from burning; and then clouds of ashes
threatened us with the fate of Herculaneum and
Pompeii.

All sorts of cooking utensils were crowded round the
fire — a turkey was stuck upon a stick to roast by the
side of an opossum, dangling on a string from the
roof. Notwithstanding my long abode amongst people
who were passionately fond of this article of food, I
could never bring myself to eat a thing with a rat's head
and tail, and hand-Uke claws. The prospect of a good

THE TWO OLD CATTLE-DEALERS. 265

supper was a delight to my liimgiy stomach. Mean-
time, I was much diverted by a bargain about cows
going on between two old backwoodsmen: but, before
discussing this subject, it will be as well to say some-
thing of the other inmates of the shed. CoUmar's
wife, a stout, strong-built woman of about thirty-four,
with two daughters of fourteen and ten, were all that
belonged to the fair sex. They were busily employed
about the fire with long-handled spoons, turning the
meat in the frying-pans, and basting the turkey and
opossum; five smaller figures, with a tin pot of milk
in one hand and a lump of maize bread in the other,
huddled near the fire, stared at the strangers with
all their eyes. The hostess soon made room for the
company by sending the children to bed. But to return
to the bargainers about the cows. Instead of each
praising his own cow, they found so much fault with
them, that their own calves, if they had heard it,
must have felt ashamed of them. After above an hour's
discussion on the faults and fiiilings of their horned
property, they observed that they could not part with
them without giving something into the bargain, as
even their hides were worth nothing. These calumnies
were put an end to by the announcement, " Supper is
ready." Boxes, chairs, and logs were placed round the
table for seats. Turkey, venison, pork, opossum, maize
bread, and the favorite beverage of the backwoods-
man, coifee, disappeared so rapidly that soon nothing
was left but the bones of the animals, the remembrance
of the bread, and the grounds of the coffee. One after
another rose when he had had enough, and then the
woman-folk, who had wisely kept something for them-
23

2GG WILD SPOPwTS IX THE FAR WEST.

selves, took their places. This is one of the customs of
the West which always displeased me. The hostess
seldom sits down to table with the men, except now
and then at tea or coffee. The other custom, that of
rising when they had had enough, without regard to
those who remained at table, was not so bad.

After supper the company formed various groups,
and the conversation turned on shooting, pasture
grounds, the^ survey of the land that had recently been
accom2)lished, and then on religion. Words soon ran
high; for among the company were Methodists, Bap-
tists, Presbyterians, and unbelievers — but all disputes
were put an end to by the arrival of two large jugs of
whiskey, each containing about four bottles, which
CoUmar had sent his eldest son, a lad of fifteen, to fetch
from a distant store. The boy had been obliged to ride
slowly for fear of breaking the jugs.

The old bear-shooters were highly amused at the fol-
lowing account one of the party gave of a bear-hunt that
had occurred in North Carolina, and which gave a sad
picture of the low state to which field sports had fallen
there. " In order to have a bear-hunt several farmers
met, and let loose a tame two-year-old bear, giving
him half an hour's law, and then following with horse
and hound. The bear made straight for some hills,
and in about an hour and a half's time was chased
into a tree. Not wishing to kill him, no one had
brought a rifle ; so I went to a house about half a mile
off, and borrowed an axe to cut down the tree. The
bear looked with inquisitive eyes on the proceedings
below, and did not appear to suspect danger, till the
tree fell with a tremendous crash : men and doss

OUR NOCTURNAL ENCAMPMENT. 2/5

skins he could find. He had also powder, lead, coffee,
sugar, and lucifer matches ; the latter article are
wretchedly made in America. I exchanged all my
. skins for powder, lead, and coffee.

From • hence, somewhat lightened, we proceeded to
Spring Creek, which is thickly settled, one good farm
bordering another, till we passed the water-mill, where
they ceased, and we prepared for the night, which looked
threatening. We halted by an overthrown pine-tree,
unloaded the horse, and gave him some corn, collected
firewood, and made a hut. Pine bark lay about in
heaps ; though worm-eaten in many places, it answered
for want of better, and, used in double and treble lay-
ers, it made a very respectable sort of shed. When I
thought it was finished, being rather tired, I flung my-
self on the ground ; but my companion was not so eas-
ily satisfied ; he laid on one piece of bark after an-
other, and spread some to keep our limbs from the damp
earth, and, whether I wished it or not, I must up and
help till he pronounced " That'll do." Our simple sup-
per was soon over ; he then pulled off his shabby old
coat, folded it up carefully, and laid it on his saddle as
an extra pillow, spread his blanket on the pine bark with
the edge to the fire, so that in lying on it, and covering
himself with the other half, he might admit the warmth.
After adding a few more logs to the fire, he pulled off
his shoes, placing them near him with the soles upwards,
that they might not fill with water in case of rain ; he
hung his socks under the bark roof, to keep them prop-
erly warm and dry ; then laying himself carefully on
his blanket, and covering himself with the other half, he
was soon asleep.

276 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

I could not sleep, but lay close to the fire, which I
kept stiri'ing with a stick, making it crackle, and raising
showers of sparks, which were carried by the wind far
away into the dark forest, while I gave audience to my
various thoughts. At length some pattering drops
w^arned me that it was time to seek shelter in the w^arm
shed.

The rising sun found us again on the march, and
nothing remarkable occurred till evening, when we
passed an old plum orchard of the Cherokees. It was
an unenclosed space, several miles in circumference,
thickly covered with bushes from two to six feet high,
bearing small, round, very sweet plums, which ripen in
August. Similar plum orchards are found in many
places near the Arkansas and Mississippi.

We struck the Arkansas before dark, opposite the
little town of Pittsburg, and crossed over. As our
purses were in a weak condition, we did not enter the
town, but lighted a fire on the river's bank, made a
shed of some planks which had been driven on shore,
probably from a sunken boat, and were soon well
housed. As we had marched quick, and kept in our
dogs for fear of losing them, we had seen no game ; our
provisions were rather low, and henceforth the horse
had no further weight to carry than the well-packed,
goodly person of my companion, who now and then got
off to give me a lift. We husbanded our stores so well,
that we had something for supper and breakfast, and to
feed the dogs, and laid ourselves comfortably down in
our blankets.

Next day we passed along a part of the route by
which some years ago a numerous body of eastern

INDIAN 3IIGKATI0N. 277

Indians, having given up their lands to the United
States on condition of receiving other equally good
lands in the West, were conducted by the parties who
had engaged to provide for them on their journey.
Numerous square holes <;ut in the fallen trees showed
Avhere the squaws had pounded their maize to make
bread. More melancholy traces were visible in the
bones of human beings and animals which were strewed
about. Many a warrior and squaw died On the road
from exhaustion, and the maladies engendered by their
treatment; and their relations and friends could do
nothing more for them than fold them in their blankets,
and cover them with boughs and bushes, to keep off
the vultures, which followed their route by thousands,
and soared over their heads ; for their drivers would
not give them time to dig a grave and bury their dead.
The wolves, which also followed at no great distance,
soon tore away so frail a covering, and scattered the
bones in all directions. This is a sad instance of the
abominable haggling spirit so prevalent in America.
The government, to avoid trouble, had contracted with
individuals for a certain sum, which was quite sufficient
to have conveyed the poor Indians comfortably ; but
they were obliged to part with all they had for bread,
selling their rifles and tomahawks, horses going for
two and three dollars ; and, while they died of hunger
and distress, the contractors made a fortune.

About three in the afternoon we reached the Ozark
mountains, and passed close by some farm buildings
where there were several tame white turkeys. My
dog, who was a capital fellow for turkeys, had as yet
never seen any but wild, consequently black ones. He
24

278 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

gave a side glance or Uxo at them, and then passed on
without further notice, until one crossed the road, and
he came on the fresh trail, which he followed on the
instant ; but when he got close to the white bird, he
kept first looking at the one, and then smelling at the
other, as much as to saj, " They don't agree," while the
turkey walked off with long strides, turning his head
from side to side to examine the stranger who was so
close at his heels, and whose intentions he rather seemed
to doubt. I called off the dog, and we stepped out at
a good pace up a narrow ravine by the banks of a
mountain stream. Narrow as the ravine was, we found
houses in places where no one, at least no reasonable
being, could ever have supposed they would have been
erected, there being so little arable land near. One
place jDarticularly amused me — a turnip field, about
sixty paces square, from one corner of which I saw
smoke rising. As there was no trace of a building or
of a human being to be seen, I was anxious to discover
where the smoke came from, and on reaching the corner
of the field, I found myself looking straight down a
chimney. The house was built in a little hollow in the
rock, probably to avoid encroaching on any part of the
useful ground. But what could induce people to settle
in such a hole, when so much good land Avas to be had
in Arkansas, was more than I could divine.

"We now turned to the left, and crossed the first
spur towards the summit of the hills that divide the
Mulberry from the Arkansas. The ascent was rather
steep, but we surmounted it without mishap, and were
rewarded with a beautiful view over the country we
had passed. While I was seated on a high piece of

A BOOTLESS CHASE LOST IN THE FOREST. 279

rock, contemplating the prospect, Slowtrap rolled a
large stone to the edge of the declivity ; then pushin"-
it over, he set the dogs after it — these hearing the noise,
flew in wild haste down the steep. The stone at first
moved slowly, but as it gathered way in its descent, it
made bounds of twenty and thirty feet, broke off young
trees, and went thundering to the bottom in clouds of
dust, the dogs still in chase. I did not much hke it,
fearing they might break their legs or necks. Bears-
grease came back first, crouching and wagging his tail,
as if he knew that he had committed an egregious
folly. The others returned later, puffing and snorting.
S. seemed to have been much amused : he sat com-
fortably on a rock, with his bridle on his left arm,
and looked on without movmg a muscle of his coun-
tenance.

We had a long march before us. It was ten miles
to the nearest house, and we had nothing eatable left,
either for ourselves or the horse; it was moreover
getting dark. S. said we must keep on the hill for six
or seven miles, and then turn down towards the Mul-
berry to the house.

It grew darker and darker. A narrow unfrequented
footpath covered with yellow leaves was our only guide,
which I followed up with undivided attention, Slow-
trap riding slowly after me. A thin penetrating rain
set in with the night ; yet, indefatigably, and with my
nose nearly on the ground, I kept to the almost in-
visible path, till about ten o'clock, when I stopped, and
told Slowtrap that either the path ended here, or I had
missed it ; which of the two was the case I could not
say. Slowtrap, who had followed patiently without

280 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

speaking a word, asked if I thought I could find the trail
again on retracing my steps. The weather was not
favorable for conversation ; I shouldered my rifle,
went some way back, made a cu'cle, and found a strip
of darker ground amongst the leaves. I called out,
and my companion came, leading his horse, and said
that I might ride, and he would follow up the path, as
his eyes were more accustomed to forest Avork than
mine. Tired with the long day's march, I was not
sorry for this, and was soon in the saddle, while Slow-
trap, stooping low, preceded me about two hundred
paces ; but he came to a stand where I had stopped,
and said the path ended there. We could not be
far from the descent to the Mulberry, for the trees
were thinner, and Slowtrap said that if it were not so
dark, Ave might be able to see the whole of its valley.
At present nothing was to be seen but our miserable
plight.

It is dangerous to lose one's way in these hills, as
precipices occur where least suspected. The rain now
fell in torrents, and we were as wet as drowned rats.
At length we decided on descending the hill straight
before us, lead where it would. It was steep and
slippery, and although we led the horse, we were often
in danger of falling into one of the steep ravines ; we
passed so near one that we heard the stones fall to the
bottom as they were kicked away by the horse's feet.

It may have been about eleven o'clock when the dogs
gave the first signs of life, by a growl and a low bark.
Then the oldest of them, a good old fellow, covered with
honorable scars, gave a short howl. It was answered
by several dogs in the distance ; this inspired us with

MR. DAVIS'S FARM. 281

fresh courage, and we hastened down the hill towards
the sound. When the strange dogs left off barking, we
easily excited them again by imitating the howl of a
wolf. We gained at once the foot of the hill and a
mountain stream, and came to a small house, from
whence we had heard the bark of the dogs. We entered
and obtained shelter, but no hearty welcome.

Next morning, as we were not very well pleased with
our host, who did not care about us, and fearing that
the rivers we had to cross might swell with rain — an
event which soon occurs in the mountains — we left at
daylight, and proceeded to a farmer's, named Davis,
about half a mile off on the other side of the river ; here
we were received kindly and hospitably.

Mr. Davis would by no means allow us to proceed,
as it had poured with rain the whole night, and all the
brooks were rushing torrents ; so, taking charge of our
things, he made us sit by the fire, and seemed liighly
gratified at the pleasure its warmth afforded us. His
family were very agreeable, and I was quite sorry to
part with them so soon as the next morning ; but by
that time the waters fell, and Slowtrap was in a huny
to get on. However, it was hard work to get through
some of the rivers, especially as we had but one horse.
Luckily my companion knew the country too well to
expose us to the chance of sleeping again in the forest,
and this evening, wet, tired, and half frozen, we arrived
at the abode of an old squatter.

This day we had crossed the main range of the
" Boston divide," which parts the waters of the Mul-
berry from the White river, and found ourselves on
the latter, which, here, we could leap across, though
24*

282 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

further down it is navigated by steamers. The country
and vegetation differed considerably from that south of
the Arkansas. There was no trace of fir ; the moun-
tains were covered with oak, beech, and liickory, all at
this season without leaves, which, to an eye accustomed
to green hollows, seemed rather mournful and mono-
tonous. It struck me as extraordinary that the best
and most fertile land was on the hill tops, where, in
other places it is generally the worst ; here grew black
walnut, wild cherry, with stems sometimes twenty
inches in diameter, black locust, and sugar maple, trees
which generally grow only in the richest soils. The
black locust was very frequent, and its long sharp thorns
are by no means pleasant on a journey.

About noon we passed a log house, at the door of
which stood a fat red-haired man. When Ave had
passed, Slowtrap told me that, four years ago, that man
had bought a clock ; and after he had had it two days,
he doubted whether all was right inside ; so he took it
to pieces, and when satisfied, jDut it together again, and
people said that when he had done so, he had wheels
enough left for another clock.

It was Christmas eve, and growing dark. My heart
sunk as I remembered former joys of this season, and
thought of my present loneliness. Strange ! that rec-
ollections should be so sweet and yet so bitter.

In good time Ave arrived at old CouAvell's, SloAvtrap's
father-in-laAV. He lived in a block-house, surrounded
by mountains covered Avith trees, close to the bank of
the White river, Avhich Avas narrow enough to be
bridged by a tree. The family Avere assembled round
the fire ; CouAvell himself was absent. A matron of

CON WELL AND HIS FAMILY. 283

pleasing appearance rose from her seat on the entrance
of her son-in-law, and cordially shook his hand, while
two fine boys of eleven and eight jumped up to welcome
him ; another person in the room, a young graceful
girl, who at first kept modestly in the background,
then came forM-ard to greet her brother-in-law, who
addressed her as Sophy ; neither was the stranger over-
looked, but received a hearty welcome from all. I,
who, a few minutes before, had felt so deserted and
miserable, now experienced a silent joy, as I looked on
the amiable, honorable countenance of the mother, the
mild expression of the daughter, and the open, happy
faces of the two boys. It was as if I had found new
relations, and was once again at home. Never in my
life had I felt, from the first moment, so completely
domesticated as with these people.

In about half an hour old Conwell came in : if ever
uprightness was stamped upon any countenance, it
was upon his ; his hair was white as snow, but his step
was as springy as he moved about in his hunfing-
shirt, leggins, moccasins, and bare neck^ as if he had
seen but twenty years. After we had been seated
about an hour, it seemed as if I had known him from
childhood, and the evening fiew past with incredible
swiftness.

The cold was very sharp on Christmas-day, and we
were delighting in a glorious fire, when John, the
youngest boy, ran in, and said there was a large gang
of turkeys in the corn. I seized my rifle, called Bears-
grease, and was soon in the field. No sooner had the
dog found the scent, than he was amongst them, and
they flew to the neighboring trees. I knocked over

284 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

one, loaded, mid tried for another, leaving Bearsgrease
to watch the prize, as several pigs were near us. Not
being able to get another shot, I retnrned to the dog,
and found him Avith his paws fidl of business. Another
larger dog had come to have a smell at the turkey ;
Bearsgrease, mistaking his intentions and my instruc-
tions, attacked the stranger, threw him over, and held
him fast, with the fiercest countenance in the world ;
but when he saw me coming he began to wag his tail,
being thus, like Janus, severe in front and amicable
behind. I released the stranger from his disagreeable
position, and patted and soothed Bearsgrease to express
my approbation and satisfaction at his good behavior ;
but he continued to give an occasional growl and scowl
at the other dog.

I amused myself for a couple of days with turkey
shooting, leaving Slowtrap time to arrange his affairs,
when he informed me that he had concluded his business
quicker than he had expected, and now meant to return
home. This was disagreeable to me for two reasons —
first, because he was a very pleasant companion ; and,
secondly, because he w^as so well acquainted with the
mountains. However, there was no persuading him
to remain, and he fixed on the following morning for
his departure.

In the afternoon, as the sun was bright and warm,
we formed a merry party in front of the house ; but
S. who never could bear lying or sitting on the cold
ground, sat himself on the fence, which w^as about five
feet high, and told us some of his humorous stories
with his usual gravity. INIeantime several cows had
assembled on the other side of the fence. It has

SLOWTRAP'S ADVENTURE AVITH THE COW. 285

already been said that S. wore a shabby old coat,
Avliereof the tails hung low outside the fence. In
the morning he had been walking about the hills,
and had been very hot; and his pocket-handkerchief,
moist with perspiration, was in one of his pockets. It is
well known that cows are fond of salt and saline sub-
stances, and they had probably divined that something
of the sort was in one of those pockets. One, rather
bolder than the rest, had quietly approached, taken
the flap in her mouth, and was contentedly chewing
it. I had observed the whole proceeding with great
amusement ; but fearing that his coat was in danger of
being reduced to a state of pulp, I called out to liim
to look behind. He looked round, beheld the cow
chewing his coat-tails with the greatest placidity, and
raised one of his long arms to drive her away. The
cow, frightened at the long arm, made a retreat ; but
unluckily one of the buttons caught between her teeth,
and she gave a sudden wrench to poor Slowtrap, w^ho
w^as nicely balanced at the top of the fence; in a
moment his legs rose in the air, like the two chimneys
of a steamer, and then his body tumbled to the
ground. What happened afterwards, no one could
tell, as we all followed his example, in a convulsion
of laughter.

On the 28th December my old companion mounted
his steed, and shaking hands with his relations and
me, was soon out of sight in the forest. I prepared
for the mountains, and Conwell said he would willingly
go with me, but that he had business for some days ;
I answered, that I would go first, not to be a burden to
him, at which he was much vexed, and requested me

286 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

not to go without him, conckiding his kind invitation
to remain in his house, by saying that I was " as wel-
come as the flowers in ]\Iay." I could not withstand
this, and remained with much pleasure. lie rode
away the same day, and returned on the following
evening. In the afternoon it came on to snow, and
continued till late at night, so that we expected glo-
rious weather for shooting; but our joy did not last
long, for it soon became warm again. Nevertheless
we got every thing in readiness, mended moccasins,
cast balls, sharpened knives, and, on the oOth, we pro-
ceeded to the Pilot rock, at the source of the Hur-
ricane. After crossing the Boston divide, Ave stopped
on the slope, where we found a spring of delicious
water, and " struck camp." The night was clear and
cold, but the heat of the day had spoiled all the beau-
tiful snow. Stretched before the fire, we rested our
weary limbs after the exertions of the day, and were
soon sound asleep, with our dogs beside us.

As we were not yet on our intended ground, we rose
early, descended the mountain, crossed the Hurricane,
and fixed upon a spot for our night's camp, where we
left Conwell's horse, with our blankets, and provisions.
Here we separated to mount the hill on different
routes. The Hurricane is a mountain stream, taking
its name from a hurricane which raged near its mouth
some time ago, leaving traces that are still visible.
It runs into the Mulberry, and flows with it into the
Ai'kansas.

Conwell went to the left, I to the right; the hill
was in places so steep, that I was obhged to lift the
dog up before me. At length I gained a flat terrace.

TERRACE-HILLS A PRIZE. 287

The terrace formation is characteristic of these moun-
tains ; seen from below they do not appear very high,
because only the top of the next division is visible;
but when one is surmounted, another and another
arises, and people maintain that when you come to the
highest there is always one more.

The terrace on which I found myself was about one
hundred and eighty paces wide. Advancing cautiously
towards the middle, keeping a sharp look-out, I per-
ceived a doe quietly grazing, and coming towards me.
I whistled, she stopped, bounded upwards with the
shot, ran about fifty paces towards me, and fell dead.
She was in excellent condition — I hung her up, and
went on. At the end of the terrace, where a spring
dashed down the rock, I observed signs of a bear ; he
had turned over several stones to find worms, and had
bitten off some of the bushes to make a bed ; seeing
nothing more, I returned to the camp, to have the help
of my companion to follow up the trail next day,
taking half the doe on my shoulders as I went along.
I found Conwell occupied with a very fat turkey.

Tired with all the climbing, we wrapped ourselves
in our blankets, and threw ourselves down for a
nap ; but the sun setting, and wind getting colder and
sharper, did not allow us much repose, but warned us
to make a fire, and a good fire too, for the night.
Wood was abundant, and we had only to move a few
steps for as much as we wanted. The sun had hardly
disappeared behind the trees on the western mountains,
when it became dark in our ravine; the twilight did
not last more than ten minutes. It was the last
day of the year. In my native land, many a happy

288 WILD sroKTs in the far west.

pair were forgetting past pains and sorrows in the
tumult of the dance in lighted halls; while I was
stretched under the starry skies beside a crackling fire
in the forest, my trusty ritle and faithful dog by my
side. I had no mind for dancing or music ; for seven
months I had not heard from home, and seemed to
have got wedged in among the mountains, with the
world closed behind me, all retreat cut off, and nothins:
left but to advance : and yet the future offered no in-
viting picture ; alone, in the endless wilderness, I stood,
with hair turning gray — a solitary hunter, leaning on
my rifle, se23arated from all I loved.

Old Hawkeye, must have had many a sorrowful
hour.

Meantime, my companion, leaning on his elbow, Avas
gazing on the fire, and lost in recollections of the past ;
but his past must have been a happy one, for he often
smiled to himself He had lived an active life, and
looked forward to a happy old age, in the circle of an
amiable family, in the vicinity of his married children,
in the enjoyment of health and strength. Wherefore
should he be unhappy ?

I stood up to change the current of my thoughts,
poked at the fire, laid the logs together, which w^ere
burnt through the middle, and reposed again on my
blanket. Conwell told me he was sixty-two years old
to-day, 31st of December, 1841 ; and yet he was so
strong and active that I had to exert myself to keep up
with him. He spoke of his past life ; how he had con-
tinually preceded civilization, first in CaroHna, then in
Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, and now in the Ozark
mountains, and he complained that people were gather-

A SUMPTUOUS BREAKFAST. 289

ing too thick about liim, and said he felt a strong
incUnation to make another move. He mentioned how
fortunate and happy he was in his family. He spoke
of his children, and as I listened to him my troubled
thoughts were soothed ; it was as if one of my own
family was speaking. Thus passed our evening till
sleep weighed down our eyelids, and wrapped in our
blankets past and future were forgotten.

Next moniing, as the tips of the western mountains
were lighted up with the first rays of the rising sun,
we woke from our lairs, shook off the wreaths of frost,
and joyfully inhaled the fresh morning air; it was
bitter cold, the water in our tin cups was all frozen, as
was the meat, but a breakfast fit for a prince was soon
smoking before us — juicy venison, fat turkey, good
Strang coffee, and maize bread. Where was the hotel
that could afford fare as good ? but man is fated never
to be satisfied — my companion sighed for bear.

Before breakfast was quite ready I went to the
creek which flowed at a few paces from our camp, to
have a good wash, and finding a hole with deep water
as clear as crystal, I threw off my clothes, and plunged
under the cool element. It was a dehcious treat, and
I did not feel the cold till I got out ; but I was soon
by the fire, and by the time I had my clothes on I felt
such an animating glow, and such strength that I could
almost have torn an oak up by the roots. Old C.
looked on smiling, but thought it too cold to plunge in,
and contented himself with washing face, breast, hands,
and feet. Thus refreshed, we sat down to breakfast;
turkey, venison, coffee, and bread disappeared with
terrific rapidity; even Bearsgrease appeared surprised
25

290 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAK WEST.

sitting with his mouth -wide open, though Conwell
maintained that he held it open more conveniently to
catch the morsels I threw to him from time to time ;
perhaps he was right.

After these trifles, half a turkey, and the greater
part of a haunch of venison had been safely disposed of
to the general satisfaction, we set off to look for the bear,
tokens of whose whereabout I had seen the day before.
On arriving at the place, the dogs showed signs of ex-
citement, and running down the steep they soon began
to give tongue. We followed as fast as we could, and
came to a large detached rock, behind which a cave
ran into the mountain. Several marks showed that
the bear was at home ; the dogs barked furiously, and
I laid aside my rifle and pouch, and was about to enter
the cave with my drawn knife, when Bruin began to
suspect mischief. He was right opposite the entrance,
but a slight bend in the cave, which was only eight
feet deep, prevented our seeing him. He would not
have cared much for the dogs, but as I approached the
wind was behind me ; the moment he discovered me
he began snorting and growling, and made a rush
which nearly upset me, although I sprang on one side.
Conwell, who had seen many such affairs, coolly stood
at the entrance with his rifle cocked, watching my jDro-
ceedings. The report of the rifle was heard before I
and the dogs had recovered our composure after the
rush ; the bear seemed to be determined that nothing-
should stop him, and disappeared in a gorge ; but the
dogs, roused by the shot were soon on his traces. The
old man laughed heartily as he saw me standing knife
in hand quite disconcerted at the mouth of the cave,

A TWO YEAR OLD BRUIN. 291

and regretted that he had not been able to give all his
attention to my admirable jump, as he was obUged to
look after the beast.

We followed the dogs, and on examining a rock which
the bear had crossed, we found drops of dark blood, and
were tolei*ably sure of him. Weakened with loss of
blood, he had not run far before the dogs came up with
him. As they were both young and untrained to bears,
he had not much trouble in keeping them off, but they
answered our purpose in stopping him. I came up
just as he had shaken off the dogs, and was climbing a
steep bluff. I fired and struck his right paw, and as
he fell the dogs seized him again ; my companion now
arrived, and coolly taking aim, sent a ball through his
heart. He was a fat two-year-old, and promised a
delicate repast; we decided on taking him home. So
while C. skinned and cut him up, I returned to the
camp to fetch the horse Math our blankets and game,
and as I rode past I brought away the other half of the
doe, which was too good to leave behind. As the day
was noAv far advanced, and the horse had about 200 lbs.
to carry, we resolved to camp for the night near the
first spring we came to.

As we crossed a flat on the top of a mountain we
heard a horrible noise from a large gang of turkeys, a
sure sign of bad weather. Conwell sprang from his
horse, and we ran towards the sound. When near
enough I cheered on the dog, and in an instant the
whole forest was alive with turkeys. A great big
fellow flapped into a tree about sixty yards in front of
me, and fell to the ground with a ball from my rifle.
While loading, I observed Conwell going about with

292 "VVILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

his rifle at his cheek, carefully watching all the long
necks ; then he stopped, took aim, and fired. But the
turkey only reeled on the bough, and recovered him-
self. As soon as I was loaded I knocked over a second,
and by this time the greater part of the gang had made
off; but the one Conwell had hit sat still, badly
wounded, with the blood dropping fast. Conwell had
now loaded again, and shot him through the head. On
my asking why he had not selected another, as he was
sure of this one, he answered, that this was the fattest
and heaviest of the whole gang; and he was right.
Mine were both large birds, but his weighed more by
three pounds. He laughed, and said he had not looked
out for the best in vain, and told me, "when the
turkeys are all sitting on the trees, frightened at the
dogs, there is no occasion to be in a hurry to shoot the
first that comes — a good sportsman should choose the
best, which is easily done; a short thick neck is the
infallible sign. The leaner the turkey, the longer and
thinner his neck. The bird seems larger, but take care
to shoot the thick-necks, and I '11 wager that they ain't so
bad to eat." Long experience has since taught me that
he was right, but it required some time before I was
cool enough to look at the turkeys on their perch, and
make a choice amongst them. We opened them on the
spot ; for it is extraordinary how soon they spoil, even
in cold weather, if this is not done. TTe threw two of
them over the horse, wliile I shouldered the third ; and
in a very short time we came to a sj^ring of good water,
and made a camp for tlie night.

One of the results of our camping out, with supper
and breakfast, was the disappearance of one of the

A COMFORTABLE EVENING. 293

turkeys and lialf the bear's rib?. With strength well
recruited we set off for the dwelling of my old friend,
and reached it about two in the afternoon. It was
dark by the time when the skins were stretched and the
meat salted, when we sat round the fire and talked over
old times.

We were tired and went betimes to bed, intendino;
to sally forth early next mornng ; but the rain poured
down the whole night, and we had forgotten to take
our blankets in from the fence, so that, it may be sup-
posed, they were rather damp ; however, we were not
vexed. We had plenty of provisions ; a little repose
would not hurt us, especially as we were lookmg forward
to fresh adventures.

We made ourselves comfortable, provided wood, and
had placed ourselves in a half circle round the fire,
when little John ran in and told us that he was just
come from a neighbor's, who had sent out his negro
to count the little pigs, which a sow was bringing with
her out of the forest. After a little while he came in,
and said gravely, that he had counted nineteen, but
that one had run about so, that he could not count him.
Conw ell now commenced a story of his early days, in
the following words: — "About forty years ago my
parents moved into the Cumberland mountains ; and as
the land was good and fertile, and game plentiful, a
little settlement was soon made. We were very com-
fortable, grew as much Indian corn as we wanted,
had plenty of venison, bear, and wild honey, and we
could always procure powder, coffee, and whatever else
we wanted in exchange for our bears' fat, skins, &c. ; so
that every one would have allowed that we could not
25*

294 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

be better off, but for one circumstance tlmt embittered
our existence and exposed us to numberless dangers.
There was a tribe of Tuskarora Indians in our vicinity,
who had been driven out of the north, probably by the
French, and who plundered and murdered whenever
they found an opportunity. Amongst other things,
they had stolen a number of horses, and that so cun-
ningly, that for a long time they eluded all our efforts
to trace them. The mountains ended in a bluff several
miles long, and from twenty to thirty feet high, so steep
that no bear, let alone a horse, could have descended it.
As soon as a horse was missed, those who went to seek
him examined each end of the cliff, without ever finding
any traces of the animal. I was then about twenty-
two years old, and one day I Avas out with my dog, —
and such a dog I have never seen since. Old Beef
here is a good fellow, but that one had a cross of a bull
in him ; well, we came on the trail of a fat bear — for
fat he was — of that I had infallible signs ; in the first
place, because he had crossed a sandy bed of a small
stream where his footsteps were deeply impressed,
showing the balls round and full ; secondly, I found
that he had not eaten the acorns with their cups, but
had taken the trouble to separate them. I fancied he
could not be far off, and followed up the trail, which
led towards the bluff ; at about two hundred yards from
it, he had entered the stony bed of a brook. I kept
close up Avith the dog, making as little noise as possible,
and only taking my eje off the trail Avhen a turn or
higher ground gave me a chance of seeing the beast.
As I proceeded I was astonished to find traces of horses
leading towards the bluff. Two capital horses had been

INDIAN STRATAGEM. 295

stolen from us a few nights before, and we had looked
everywhere for traces of them, without success; of
course, no one thought of looking on the edge of the
cliif.

"My previous astonishment was nothing to what I
experienced, when I came to the place, where, after
heavy rain, the brook falls over the cliff, but which in
dry weather does not contain a drop of water, and
found, where the depth might be about twenty feet, two
fir-trees, rounded, and placed standing against the rock,
just so far apart that a horse might slide down them, but
could not fall through ; that this was the use they had
been put to was evident from the marks of the struggles
of the horses, before they were launched, and from
patches of horsehair sticking to the poles. That the
bear had descended by these means was clear from the
marks of his claws in the wood.

" It would not have done for the dog ; — besides the
discovery was too important for delay, and I hastened
home to give information. We had not long to wait
to turn it to account. The Indians, who had stolen a
couple of horses a few nights before, returned for some
more the same evening. Luckily, our watchmen gave
the alarm in time, and they had hardly made off with
their booty, when we started by a nearer road, as they
were obliged to choose the most stony paths, in order
to leave as few traces as possible, and thus made a long
circuit.

" About nine in the morning we arrived opposite the
fir-trees, and hid ourselves in the trees and behind
rocks to await the redskins. About noon we began to
think that they must have discovered our trail, and

296 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

would not appear ; but we resolved to wait till dark.
"We were fifteen in all, and decided not to fire till every
man was sure of his mark ; and, with beating hearts,
'we listened for the slightest sounds. We had almost
given up the hopes of seeing them, when a single
warrior appeared, in his blanket dress, and descended
the cliff. He was sent to reconnoitre, and had not the
slightest suspicion of danger ; for he passed close before
my uncle Ben, who, not able to resist the temptation,
or fancying that he was discovered, I know not which,
contrary to his usual caution, fired. The savage
leaped high in the air, and fell on his face without a
groan.

"Now, whether the Indians thought that their spy
had shot something, or whether they thought them-
selves strong enough to disregard a single man, whom
chance might have brought to the spot, in less than five
minutes the whole troop were on the edge of the bluff,
about eighty paces from our hiding-place. They had
with them only the four horses which they had lately
stolen, and as we well knew that it would be vain to
seek them if once their suspicions were roused, we took
aim in sUence. The party consisted of nine men, four of
them on horseback ; we might easily have killed them
all, but were too eager to recover the horses ; so it hap-
pened that all aimed at the riders. I had not been in
quite such a hurry, and Avhen the others turned to fly
I aimed at one just as he w^as entering the thicket ; he
gave a spring and threw off his blanket ; I saw the
blood spurt out, but he was soon out of sight, and as
I could not find his body, I think he must have
escaped.

SIMPLICITY OF THE BACKWOODSMEN. 297

" "We took the arms and dresses of the slain, bound
them on the horses, left the corpses to the wolves and
vultures, and entered the settlement in triumph the
same evening. It was long before we saw any thing
more of the Tuskaroras, who withdrew in alarm towards
Lake Ontario."

By this time dinner was ready, and after dinner we
took a siesta; then, what with reading and conversa-
tion, it was evening before we were aware. I was now
asked to give information about the old world, and to
tell them whether kings would take off people's heads
when they chose — and how houses were built when
there was so little wood — and what people did in the
winter. They were much astonished when I mentioned
that we did not grow Indian corn, nor let the cattle run
wild ; but when I said that we sometimes planted trees,
the children shook their heads, and even the old ones
thought that I was practising on their credulity ; they
also wanted to know if kings and queens always wore
their crowns, and if they walked about with their scep-
tres, and what the nobility looked like.

Next morning, starting with the rising sun, we took
a direction towards the Richland and War-eagle, two
streams which flow into the White river. We took
no provisions with us, but rode out with only the
blankets on the horses, as Conwell supposed we should
find plenty of game. On arriving on our ground, we
turned the horses loose, who bent their steps home-
wards, grazing as they went. We took different
courses, agreeing to return in the evening to the place
where our blankets were hanging up. I walked cau-
tiously and slowly, but saw nothmg of either deer or

298 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

turkey ; once I heard the report of C.'s rifle. "WTien I
returned to the camp I made a good ^re, spread my
blanket, placed my rifle in readiness, and laid me down
to rest. About sunset I heard a light step ; at first I
thought it was a deer — it was Con well, without game
or dog. He sat down by my side on the blanket, and
observing that he supposed I must be very hungry, he
gave a faint smile, and said that he could fast until to-
morrow evening. He might well laugh. He said his
dog was after a deer which he had shot, and, judging
from the marks, he must have been hit in the fleshy
part of the haunch ; the dog, being young, could not be
called off after once catching the scent, and dog and deer
were soon out of sight.

While he was talking, Bearsgrease rose up and
snuffed the air ; Conwell thought it must be his dog
who had found his trail. As I supposed so too I took
no notice, until I thought I heard a short bark, and
Bearsgrease, growling lightly, gave me a significant
look. I jumped up with my rifle, and in a minute a
noble buck, with horns laid back, rushed by at full
speed, at about twenty paces from the camp. I sent a
ball into him, and my dog was instantly close on his
heels. He did not run far ; my ball had broken the
left leg, and passed through the right. After running
about 200 paces, he sprang into the Richland, on whose
banks we were encamped, and seemed resolved to sell
his life as dearly as possible. The dogs were upon him,
but, as they were forced to swim, while he touched the
bottom, he had not much difficulty in shaking them off
again. Conwell remained lying as if it were no con-
cern of his, so I seized his rifle, ran to the bank, ended

BIVOUAC STORY OF THE MOCCASINS. 299

the poor animal's tormeilts with a ball through his
brain, and plunged into the water to pull him out.
Now we had meat in plenty ; the skin and liaunches
were hung up, the ribs roasted, and the dogs fed before
dark.

We slept well all night, and were up early, but the
leaves were so dry that we found nothing but one
turkey, which Conwell knocked over. However, the
sky began to get cloudy, and as we had meat for the
present, our hopes rose. It came on to blow from
the north, but Ave were protected by a bank of about
ten feet high, and though we could not sit close to it
on account of sharp stones, yet it kept off some of
the cold wind, and a glorious fire soon made us for-
get it.

Supper was over, and Conwell had taken off one of
his moccasins to take a stone out, when he said that it
reminded him of something that had happened to him
a long time ago when he was a child. I was already
covered up in my blanket, but finding that he had a
mind to talk, I roused up, gave the fire a poke that
made the sparks fly, and leaning back, with Bears-
grease for a pillow, who seemed well pleased with the
arrangement, I awaited the commencement of his nar-
rative.

When I got up, Conwell stopped ; but now passing

"I was between five and six years old when my
father made my first pair of moccasins, for he was a very
good shoemaker, and had always made strong shoes for
children, though he himself always wore moccasins;
but, at my earnest, repeated request, he made a pair for

300 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

me, and warned me particularly not to lose them. On
this same day a peddler had been in the house, and had
persuaded my father to buy a pair of large boots, as
very serviceable for bad weather ; — and as it had rained
a great deal lately, he put them on, took his rifle, and
sallied forth to the forest. He was hardly gone when
I wished to wear my new moccasins ; and, to my horror,
found that one was missing. In vain I searched the
house from top to bottom ; it was gone, and the other
seemed to be there only to remind me of my loss, and
the punishment awaiting me. With a beating heart I
saw my father return earlier than I had expected, out
of humor with the bad weather and bad sport ; and
he asked roughly, why I was running about barefoot.
With tears in my eyes I told him that I could not find
one of the moccasins, and that I thought the cat must
have run off with it. He said he would cat me, and
that if I did not find the other before night I should
suffer for it. With a sorrowful heart I recommenced
my search, and all my brothers helped me. Meantime
my father had sat himself by the fire, and complained
that something in his boot had plagued him the whole
day ; so, pulling it off, and feeling inside, what should
he find but my much-bemoaned moccasin. It is easier
to imagine my delight than to express it."

Conwell rolled himself in his blanket and fell asleep,
still smiling at the recollection. I could not sleep ;
his story had recalled events of my own childhood, and
I kept gazing at the strange and changing figures in
the fire. Bearsgrease was lying close to me, with his
head on my shoulder ; he had raised it several times,
and snuffed the air, and agam lain down. At length

ALMOST SUKPKISED BY A PANTHER. 301

he roused up and gave a slight growh I thought I
heard something, and looking up to the bank behind
me, I was astonished to find two glowing eyeballs
steadily fixed upon me. My head being between the
fire and the animal, I could see them plainly just above
the bank. It must be a panther, and, judging from
the position, ready to spring. My rifle, as usual, lay
ready; so, half raising myself, that I might have the
fire in a line with the two sights, I aimed between the
two fiery balls, and the rocks reechoed the report.

Old Conwell was up like lightning with his riiie
ready, and the dogs hunted about Avhile I reloaded,
but all was as silent as the grave. The old fellow
shook his head, and asked what on earth I had been
firing at. I finished loading without a word, then
taking a brand from the fire and going about twenty
paces to a slope in the bank, I mounted, and found an
immense panther, quite dead. I threw him over, and
C. dragged him to the fire; the ball had pierced his
brain through the right eye. He was a very powerfid
beast, had enormous fangs, and when we cut him open,
his stomach was found quite empty. He must have
been attracted to the fire by hunger, and C. thought
he might have smelt the venison; he would probably
have ventured a spring as soon as the fire had burnt
low ; the dogs could not scent him, as he was so much
above us. After skinning him we threw the carcass
into the river below the camp, as the dogs would not
touch it. We slept the rest of the night undisturbed.

A light rain fell next morning, which, in about an
nour, moistened the dead leaves sufficiently for us to
walk without making a noise; so I made haste to
26

302 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

Stretch the panther's skin, and we set off, each as before
taking a separate path. Before I had gone hah' a mile
I saw two deer grazing; just at this moment Conwell's
gun was heard at some distance, and they both raised
their heads and Hstened attentively, but perceiving
nothing suspicious, they began to feed again. They
were a doe and a year-old fawn, and when they were
in a hne I fired ; the doe, which was nearest, fell at
once, and the fawn after running about fifty yards.
They were very fat, and I hung them up.

In hanging up deer it is necessary to take precau-
tions against the vultures, which are a great annoyance
to sportsmen. The best way of securing the deer,
whose skin they would ruin with their beaks, is to
hang them up by their heads, so that the vultures may
have no point of support, and must content themselves
with pecking at the skull. There is also a large crow,
which tries to steal the fat ; but they may be kept off
by placing two peeled sticks crosswise on the deer — for
the crows will not venture their heads between two
such suspicious-looking objects.

Continuing my march, I came to the bank of a
stream running into the Richland, when I saw a wolf
spring out of a thicket on the opposite side, about
eighty paces off; he ran about fifty yards and then
stopped, but not long enough for me to take aim;
finally he disappeared among some rocks. I crossed
over to the thicket to see how Bearsgrease would take
the scent of a wolf; all his hairs bristled up the moment
he came to the yet warm lair.

Late in the afternoon, on my way to the camp, I
struck a fresh bear's trail, and followed it up, though

A NOVEL sleeping-roo:m. 303

it led me out of my way. Meantime it began to rain
liarder, and coming to a broad stream, which the
bear had crossed, my dog lost the trail. As it was too
late to return to the camp, I considered myself lucky
in finding a cave, two feet deep in leaves driven in by
the wind. Without making a fire, which would have
been dangerous, I crept in, taking Bearsgrease for a
pillow, who was much pleased thereby, and, spite of
wet clothes, I slept well till morning, covered up with
the leaves.

The morning was cold and wet, my clothes were still
damp from yesterday's rain, and I was as hungry as a
lion ; so altogether I did not feel quite so comfortable
as I could wish. But walking quick to warm myself,
in about an hour's time I reached the place where I
had left the two deer, hung the fawn over my shoulders,
and not long after gained the camp.

The fire was burning bright which C. had only
lately left, and it was no small quantity of venison
that I put down to roast. Having appeased my
appetite, and fed Bearsgrease, I laid down again to
rest. After an hour's time, as C. did not return, I set
off again ; it was still very cold. As I was passing a
small ravine I saw a young buck feeding, without the
slightest suspicion of danger. As I was within dis-
tance, I aimed and fired ; he fell as if shot through the
brain, but my ball had struck too high, so that at the
moment when I came up to seize him he recovered
himself, and rose on his forelegs. I saw on the instant
that there was no time to lose, and threw myself upon
him. The dog had also seized him, and I was in the
act of drawing my knife to plunge in his throat, when

304 WILD SPORTS IX TnE FAR WEST.

he made a sudden effort, and we all three tumbled down
a declivity of nine or ten feet. In falling I had dropped
my knife, which fell among the stones, and I felt much
pain in my head and left side ; but neither I nor Bears-
grease had let go our hold. The poor animal made
most desperate efforts to escape, and with our greatest
exertions it was hardly possible for us to hold him.
Without a knife there was but one method of securing
him ; a cruel one, indeed, but if I had to bite his neck
tlirough with my teeth I would not let him go. I
threw him over on his side, and smashed his forelegs
wdth a sharp stone. Thus crippled, Bearsgrease could
hold him ; I jumped up, found my knife, and ended the
poor creature's torments.

I succeeded in slinging it with a great deal of
trouble, my left side jDaining me exceedingly ; however
I managed to climb up the steep, recovered and loaded
my rifle, and hobbled towards the camp, intending to
remain quiet the rest of the day.

I found my old friend awaiting me. He had killed
four bucks, and brought away then- haunches, the rest
not being good eating at this season. We settled to
shoot towards the house next day, and then to take
horses to carry home the game we had shot.

On our way homewards we only killed three turkeys.
We caught the horses the same evening, and once more
reposed our weary Umbs among my old friend's family
circle.

At midnight it began to rain, and tow^ards morning
it poured in torrents. The game was not to be thought
of, and we sat round the fire amusing ourselves with

THE CAPTURED BUFFALa

STORY OF A BUFFALO HUNT. 305

old stories and anecdotes. As we were talking of the
prairies, Conwell told us one of his adventures after
buffaloes.

" Not many years ago, when I lived in the Kickapoo
prairie, in Missouri, four of us set out one morning to
shoot buffaloes. It was bitter cold, and we rode rapidly
over the frozen ground. On gaining an elevation, we
descried a herd in the distance, and made towards them.
"S^Tien about half a mile from them they discovered us,
and ran off, we after them helter-skelter. The hind-
most was a cow, too fat to keep up with the others, so
we all singled her out for our mark. After galloping
for about a mile, she received all our balls, and fell,
when we secured her. The wind was now blowing
from the north-west, almost cold enough to freeze the
marrow in our bones, and the dry buffalo dung, the
only fuel in the jDrairies, made but a poor fire. The
nearest wood was about a mile from tlie place where
the cow fell, and a debate arose whether we should
fetch the wood to the buffalo, or carry the buffalo to
the wood. AYe thought the latter easier. One of the
party, named Turner, began to strip off the skin ; we
offered to help him, but he would not permit it ; so,
willingly leaving the cold work to him, we made as
good a fire as we could for him to warm his hands by.
When the skin was off, we cut off the prime pieces,
took the marrow-bones, packed them in the skin, threw
them over a horse, and brought them to the nearest
Avood, where we luckily found water. Our four
tomahawks soon cut wood enough, and we made a
roaring fire; when it was burnt to charcoal we stuck
26*

306 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

in the marrow-bones, first one end, then the other ; and
certainly there is no more dehcate eating for the back-
woodsman than buffalo marrow, except bear's ribs, and
wild honey. The meat was rather tough, and nothing
particular.

" It was now getting dark, and we began to prepare
our camp. One of the party proposed, instead of each
rolling himself separately in his blanket, that we
should spread the skin, which was large enough to
hold us all, and then lay all the blankets over us.
But Turner objected, and maintained that as he had
skinned the cow alone, he alone would sleep in it. It
was all the same to us ; we all had good blankets, and
could make ourselves comforlable by the fire, which
we closely surrounded, while Turner wrapped himself
in his heavy skin, with the hairy side inwards ; — and
we were all soon asleep.

" The weather was extremely cold, and we were
obliged to get up several times in the course of the
night, to lay on fresh wood, though Turner never
moved out of his warm skin. Towards morning the
wind changed to north-east, and the sky threatening
a snow-storm, we decided on returning home as soon
as possible, to avoid the approaching storm, or at any
rate to get better shelter than the open prairie afforded.
So we swallowed our breakfasts quickly, and saddled
the horses, which had been feeding on the dry grass,
and now approached as close as they could to the fire.
"We called Turner several times to make him get up,
but a slight motion of the hide was the only answer.
At length, a half smothered cry for help issued from

BOOKS IN WET AVEATHER. 307

the skin. We rushed to Turner in alarm, fearing some-
thing serious, but burst into a roar of laughter, on
finding that he was frozen in, and could not move a
limb. Yfe rolled him to the fire, to thaw the skin,
and set him free ; the rolling and the heat made him
feel rather giddy, but a hot marrow-bone restored
him ; — and then loading the horses with the softened
skin, and the remainder of the meat, we reached
home before the storm, which came on that evening
with tremendous force."

The weather continued gloomy enough, the clouds
hanging about the trees, as if they were seeking shelter
from the wind, which was driving them from the
rocky mountains. All the cattle collected near the
house, with their tails to the wind, and pendant ears,
looking very wretched. Luckily I found a few books,
— such as «A Dialogue of Devils," "The Life of
Marion," " The Life of Washington," " The Pilgrim's
Progress," "The United States' Reader," &c., and
killed some of the time by turning over their
leaves.

The rain lasted till the 12th January. The various
streams had become cataracts and rivers, so we were
obliged to remain at home two days longer. Mean-
time our store of meat had fallen very low, and there
appeared little hope of being able to use tliat which
we had left hanging in the forest. However we
hastened away to save the skins, if there was yet time.
The streams were still so swelled that we could only
pass them on horseback. We reached our last camp
about noon, and found, as we had expected, that the

308 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR AVEST.

meat Avas tainted, and the greater part of it devoured
by vultures. We stretched the skins, in the hope
that the wind, Avith the help of a faint sun, which
was peering bashfully through the clouds, might dry
them.

As it grew late, and we had no other provisions
than bread and salt, we set off with the dogs to look
for turkeys, and came upon a gang just as they were
making themselves comfortable for the night. We
killed two, and might ^have shot more, but did not
wish to increase the quantity of decaying meat in the
neighborhood. On this account we removed our
camp about half a mile off, stretched our blankets to
keep off a light drizzling rain, hobbled the horses, and fed
them with maize. The wolves made a dreadful noise
all night at our old quarters. In the morning the
rain held up, and the clouds separated a little ; so I
set off to try and steal a march on them, and spoil
their howling. The leaves were wet, and going round
to gain the wind, I crept for about two hundred yards
on my knees up to a large tree, and counted eight of
them. Although they were to windward of me, one
of them raised his head and began snuffing the air,
then turned sharp round, and they all made off with
their peculiar long gallop for the bush. Now was my
time or never ; I aimed at one of the largest, which
covered another with its body. When the smoke
cleared away, not a wolf was to be seen ; they had
vanished like magic — but following up the trail, I
found one dead, and signs of another being wounded;
but I found nothing more of the latter, — he was prob-

MARAUDING WOLVES BRUIN IN HIS NEST. 309

ably torn to pieces by his comrades. I scalped my
prize, and returned to the camp ; the scalp is valued,
as before stated, at three dollars.

Meantime Conwell had employed himself in roastin"-
turkeys, and we made an excellent breakfast. We
then started off again. When I came to the place
where I had hung up the buck, whose capture nearly
cost me my neck, I found that the wolves had suc-
ceeded in dragging it doAvn, and eaten nearly all but
the bones. I knocked over another, and also killed a
wild cat; returning to camp in the afternoon, where
Conwell had arrived before me. He had killed a
couple of deer, and we decided on bringing them to the
camp, as there were so many wolves about.

Finding no traces of bears, we determined to leave
the Richland and try the Mulberry again ; so next
morning we loaded our horses, and set off on our
return. As we were descending a hill, Conwell stopped
suddenly at the foot of a large oak, and after examining
the bark attentively, he said that a bear was either in
the tree, or had very lately left it. The weather had
improved, and it was again rather cold. We had
nothing better than our tomahawks for cutting down
the tree, and they were not very sharp ; a few strokes
proved the fact. Luckily for us it was hollow, and we
set-to v/ith a will.

After hacking at it for three hours, the tree began
to crack. We seized our rifles, called the dogs, and
hastened towards the direction in which the tree must
fall, to be ready to receive him. A couple of
small spluiters broke first ; then a larger one ; then the

310 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

top began to bend slowly down the hill ; then with a
loud crash, and smashing its branches in the fall, the tree
measured its length on the ground. No bear appeared ;
the nest was empty, though there could be no doubt
it had lately been tenanted, for the sides were beauti-
fully smooth and clean. There was a bough about
five feet below the hole, where the bear went in and
out, on which an Indian must formerly have stood, and
tried to make an opening with his tomahawk, but
without success; probably the bear, disturbed by the
blows, had made his way out in time. Judging by
the bark, this must have occurred about four or five
years ago.

While we were looking at it, Conwell asked what
the dogs w^ere about ; they appeared to be very eagerly
licking up something from the ground, and we found
that, accidentally, we had cut down a tree with honey
in it. The bees were all torpid Avith the cold, and
the dogs Avere enjoying the honey, which the breaking
boughs had brought to light. Our plans were soon
arranged ; Conwell went to look for a deer ; I took
my tomahawk to cut a trough, and was soon busy
about the upper part of the trunk, which was sound
enough. As it was freezing, and the honey would not
run, there was no occasion to make the trough very
deep ; so it was soon finished, and I loaded it with
gi-eat lumps of the frozen delicacy. This done, I col-
lected wood and made a fire, expecting we should pass
the night here ; but just then I heard the report of Con-
well's gun quite near, folloAved by his hail : I ansAvered,
and Avas soon by his side. He had killed a large fat

HONEY-LADEN HOME, 311

doe, which ^ve hung up by the hind legs, made a cut
above the haunch, and drew off the skin without
another touch of the knife, except at the knees, hocks,
and head; stopping the holes, we turned it with the
hair outwards, and so made a bag to carry the honey.
When it was all in, I mounted, Conwell handed it to
me, and away we went homewards, leaving the greater
part of the last deer behind.

CHAPTER X.

A TERILOUS BEAR-HUNT A DEBATING SOCIETY

PANTHER HUNT DISASTROUS EVENTS DEATH

OF ERSKINE DEPARTURE.

The winter sleep of bears — The she-bear and cubs in the cave —
Our perilous hunt — Erskine — Debating society in the woods —
Questions discussed — My proposition — Adventure with a pan-
ther— Our wounds — Bad sport — Hunting with the Indians —
The skeletons in the cave — Erskine's fatal encounter with the
bear — My wounded shoulder — Indian surgery — I decline set-
tling in the woods — sorrowful leave-taking.

"We had no trifle to carry, and were very glad to reach
home ; but our feet Avere hardly out of the stirrups
when we heard that some Indians had looked in.
They had discovered a cave which certainly contained
a bear, but the Cherokees, who had first found it, had
not ventured to penetrate far, as it was deep and nar-
row. This was grist to our mill. The skins and meat
were stowed away, the rifles discharged and cleaned,
horses fed, and all prepared for a regular hunt. We
passed the evening in telling stories about bears ;
among others Conwell related the following anecdote
respecting their winter sleep : " In this southern
climate, the bear generally lays up about Christmas,
or the beginning of the year, and remains till the end
of February ; if the weather is then mild he comes out
occasionally, and sometimes he does not return to his

(312)

BEARS IN THEIR WINTER-QUARTERS. 313

winter-quarters, but prepares a new lair by biting down
branches, and making a bed for himself in the most
secluded and thickest jungle, as far removed as pos-
sible from the haunts of man. If thej go into a cave,
they do not take any provisions with them, but keep
sucking their paws, whining all the time ; when they
become torpid, they lie with their head doubled under
them, and their fore-paws above it. I myself have
crawled into a cave, and poked bears with the end
of my rifle, to make them raise their heads, so that I
might conveniently fire into their brains ; and the
bears Avere always cowardly in a cave, except they had
young, when they fight furiously — but even then, only
when they have no other choice. "Wlien the weather
is warm and they come out to drink, it is extraordinary
how exactly they always step in the same place ; but as
the marks are thereby made so much deeper, these
'stepping paths,' as they are called, are easily dis-
covered."

The night was bitter cold ; the day broke as fine as
a sportsman could wish. One of Conwell's married
sons, who lived in the neighborhood, joined our party,
and another young man named Smith, and as we rode
by the school, the master dismissed all the boys and
girls, as the temptation to accompany us was too strong
to be resisted. TVe took plenty of fir splinters for
torches, and our guide was young Smith, who was one
of the party who had tracked the bear, but not ventured
very far into the cave.

We reached the entrance about two o'clock in the
afternoon, and prepared a good dinner to strengthen us
for the exertions in prospect. While the meat was
27

314 "WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

roasting, I took a survey of the outside, whicli presented
a wall of limestone rock, about thirty feet high, and
about 300 feet long, with four openings. After having
well fortified the inner man, we prepared to enter the
cave. 'We took only one rifle with us, but each had
his large hunting-knife, and I buckled my powder-horn
close to my side ; then with my rifle in my right hand,
and a torch of at least twenty inches in my left, we
entered a dark passage about four feet high and two
feet wide ; young Conweli came next to me with
another torch, followed by his father with a bundle of
splinters to replace the torches as they burnt out. For
about eighty yards it was all hard rock, and we ad-
A-anced easily enough. But now came a sudden turn to
the right, and the cave was so low that we were obliged
to crawl on our hands and knees ; the bottom was stiff
clay, with numerous marks of bears, some quite fresh.
As we advanced the passage became still smaller, and
we were obliged to crawl on our stomachs. Thus far
the Indians had jDcnetrated, as we found by splinters
of fir, and marks of their elbows and knees in the clay.
The passage was now so small that I was obliged to
lie quite flat, and push myself along by my feet assisted
by my left elbow, holding the torch in my left hand,
and the rifle in front with the right. The aperture
was quite round, and rubbed smooth by the passing in
and out of wild animals, who may perhaps have made
this their winter-quarters for hundreds of years. Here
and there we found stalactites, which were a great
hinderance, and we often had considerable difficulty in
pushing ourselves through.

Apparently, we were the first whites, indeed the first

bruin's cave. 315

men, who had ever ventured mto the place, for the
ground retained every impression that had been made
in it. In some places the marks of the bears were
petrified, having perhaps been left centuries ago. Once
the thought occurred to me : should we ever get out
again, or perish here from hunger ? I went on how-
ever, all my senses on the stretch, to discover the sleep-
ing bear.

We disturbed immense numbers of bats with our
torches, and found also several crickets and a few blue-
bottle flies. When my torch was nearly burnt out, I
stopped for a supply from young Conwell ; the moment
I remained quite still, I thought I heard a low whining
not far off; and listening attentively, I distinctly heard
the sound bear cubs make in sucking, and a low deep
growling ; so there was no longer any doubt but that we
were near a she-bear with cubs.

The place where I had stopped was rather more
roomy, so that I could sit up, and I turned to the two
Conwells and asked if they heard the sound, which
they answered with a whispered " Yes ; " — and we held
a short council as to further proceedings. In the first
place, the cave was smaller further on — secondly we
had only expected a sleeping bear, instead of a she-bear
awake and with cubs, for which it was rather early in
the season ; though C. told me afterwards, that in
Arkansas he had occasionally met with bear cubs as
early as January. Whoever has seen a she-bear defend
her young, with ears laid back and open jaws, may
form some idea of our feelings. We were all bear-
killers, and knew well enough the danger we were
encountering in a space almost too narrow to admit of

316 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

any movement. But at all events there we -were, and
there was the bear — and no one even hinted at a
retreat.

I examined my rifle closely to see that all was right,
and as we slowly worked our way forwards, the elder
Conwell warned me to make sure of my shot, adding
drily, by way of comfort, that it would be all the better
for me ; for if I missed I should be the first to suffer
from the animal's fury.

"\Ve came nearer and nearer to the growling bear,
who certainly must long since have heard us, and was
now listening with all her might. At length the min-
gled whining and growling appeared to be quite close,
and holding the torch behind my head, I plainly saw
fiery eyeballs. I now halted, cleared the sight of the
rifle, which had got clogged with the clay, refreshed my
torch, and crept as silently as possible towards the dark
mass.

The decisive moment was come ; and as I could now
distinguish the .animal's head, through the surrounding
darkness, I put myself in an attitude to take aim. The
bear had risen on her hind-legs, and sat with their usual
swinging motion ; as I was trying to fix one of her eyes
with the rifle, she suddenly disappeared through the
almost palpable darkness.

Following her up, we came upon three cubs, nice
little things, which roared lustily when for the first time
they saw a light. These sounds were by no means
agreeable to us, for we had reason to fear that the cries
of the cubs might still more enrage the dam. We
wished to save them alive, and asked old Conwell to
stay with them and quiet them and to make a fire,

OUR ADVENTURE IN THE CAVE. 317

while we went after the old one. Conwell sat down,
and soon quieted them by giving them a finger to suck.

About ten feet from the lair the cave divided into
two passages of equal size. The fresh marks showed
that the bear had taken the one to the right. Presently
the cubs began to cry again with renewed force, which
rather alarmed us, for we should have been in an awk-
ward predicament if the bear had endeavored to hasten
to their help, and found the way blocked up by our
bodies ; for, with the best will in the world, she could
neither pass over us nor by our sides, and there was no
other way left than to kill us, and eat her way through.
While we were consulting together about this matter,
in a low voice, the cry suddenly ceased, and we
pushed on silently in better spirits ; for, from all that
we had seen, this bear was rather more cowardly than
usual.

"We went on and on, to the great annoyance of our
ribs and elbows, and there seemed to be no end to the
cave. There was a peculiarity about it, which I never
found in any other, namely, several flat stones about
one and two inches thick, which rang like steel when
slightly struck with the finger. One place was very
remarkable. It was about fifty or sixty feet long, with
similar flat stones on each side, approaching to within
six inches of each other in the middle, so that one could
have passed through in a sitting posture, with the neck
in the narrow part, and the head in the upper com-
partment ; but to say the least, this would have been
a rather inconvenient position for receiving the attack
of an enraged bear.

After clearing this double passage, we arrived at
27*

318 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

a spring, which had worn itself a cliannel of about
eighteen inches deep, and eight or nine wide. After
working our way through another difficult pass, as I
was in the act of drawing a long breath, I heard a deep
growl very near me. Although I had been listening
for this sound every foot of the way for several hours,
yet, on hearing it so suddenly and so close, I was rather
startled, and nearly let fall the torch ; but quickly
recovering, and raising the torch as high as possible, to
the discomfort and horror of several innocent bats, I
could make out Mrs. Bruin, about ten yards off, sitting
upright, gnashing her teeth, digging into the ground
with her sharp claws, and apparently in the worst pos-
sible humor.

Young Conwell, who was close behind me, laid his
hand lightly on my foot, and whispered that he heard
the bear. As I had obtained this intelligence for
myself, I whispered to him to be quiet, and creeping
forward a couple of paces, I came to a place from whence
I thought I could fire with effect. I placed my right
foot in the channel of the stream, raised myself as well
as I could on my left knee, and brought up the rifle.
Young Conwell, who was anxiously w^atching all my
motions, whispered me for God's sake to aim carefully, for
if I made a bad shot we were both done for. Although
I was nearer the danger than he was, I would not have
changed plaees with him, as he could not see what was
going on, and must naturally fear the worst ; and in
such cases, it is preferable to be in the post of danger,
than to remain in a state of suspense.

The bear, by no means pleased with our intrusion,
laid back her ears, snapped her teeth, and kept con-

ATTACK AND RETREAT. 319

stantly swinging to and fro ; as she did not sit quite
upright I had no other choice than to aim at the head,
in the hope that if I missed my aim, the ball might
pierce the breast. As I was taking aim, the thought
crossed my brain for a moment (why should I deny
it ?) how helpless I was if the shot failed ; but it lasted
only a moment, and, in the excitement of the present,
I forgot both past and future.

I took a long aim, and yet, as the bear was not still
for one second I pulled the trigger too soon. The cave
was filled with thick smoke ; a fearful groan announced
that the beast was wounded ; we did not wait to
examine the state of affairs, but crept back as fast as
the narrow space would allow, to a spot where there
was more room to move, in order to reload, and return
to the attack.

We had retreated, backwards, for about a hundred
yards, and had halted in a more convenient part of the
cave, when we heard the bear coming towards us,
snorting and snapping her teeth, till the cave echoed
with the sound. My first thought was " Good-by to
the light of the sun." But I had not much time for
consideration, and called to young Conwell to make
haste if he valued our lives, for the old one was coming.
He did not require much pressing, and I never saw
crabs crawl backwards quicker than we tried to do ;
yet, however great our hurry, and imminent our dan-
ger, it was very slow work, and the snorting came nearer
and nearer.

I had dropped my rifle, as it very much hindered
my retreat, and keeping a sharp look-out in front,
where I constantly expected to see the bear, I suddenly

320 WILD SPORTS- IX THE FAR WEST.

discovered the glowing eyes only a few paces off. Just
at this moment, my left elbow struck against a pro-
jecting bit of rock ; the torch fell out of my hand, and
all was dark as pitch ; for although young Conwell had
a second torch, my body filled up the space so com-
pletely that not a ray of light could pass. I took up
the glimmering splinter, and threw it at the bear, which
checked her, but only for a moment. Suddenly young
Conwell stopped, and said he could not find the pas-
sage ; and making a shp with his right hand, which
held the torch, he dropped it in the water. I could
not answer for the bear, who had followed us slowly,
as if she knew that we were doing our best to get out
of her way ; she must have been so near, that I felt
sure that if I stretched out my arm to its full extent I
should touch her ; for I could feel her hot breath on
my face. With my left arm a little in advance, the
right with the hunting-knife drawn back, I awaited,
w^ith every stroke of the pulse, the beast's attack,
thinking of nothing else than selling my life as dearly
as possible ; for I had no hopes of getting out alive.

Meantime, young Conwell had not been idle. Aware
that we could do nothing without a light, he had felt for
his tinder-box, and the noise of his flint and steel was
the only sound that broke a silence like that of the
grave ; for at the first blow the bear had ceased growl-
ing to listen to the strange sounds.

After a painful and anxious pause, he called out, " I
have got a light, give me the powder-horn and a rag."
I cut away the first from its sling, then tore off a piece
of my hunting-shirt, and passed them behind me. In
a few minutes he recovered his splinter ; this gave us,

rUKSUED liY A AVOUNDED BEAR. 321

or rather me, new hopes ; for he had no fear — firstly,
because he could not know how near the bear was ;
and, secondly, because, as he assured me afterwards, he
was so intent on striking a light, that he could think
of nothing else. He had also succeeded in turning
himself round, and his voice sounded to me like an
angel's sons: when he called out that he had found the
passage. He had now the advantage of creeping for-
wards, while I was still obliged to show front to the
bear ; but he gave me a few more splinters of fir, and a
light, and we again began our slow retreat towards the
entrance.

As I held the torch forwards, the bear gave a deep
growl, gnashed her teeth, and retreated a pace or two,
but foUoAved again as soon as she saw that I was re-
tiring. Necessity sharpens invention ; I laid a cou-
ple of burning sticks crosswise on the ground, and saw,
to my inexpressible delight, that she did not venture to
pass them. Shuffling back as fast as I could, I heard
Jim (young C.) call out to his father to go back, as the
bear was coming. No other words were spoken, and
indeed the growling came nearer ; the fire had probably
gone out on the moist ground, and then she followed us
again.

I now crawled over the place where we had first
discovered her, and found out the reason why the cubs
had so suddenly ceased their cry. When we stopped,
uncertain what to do, old C. had dashed their heads
against the rock, and thus most likely saved our lives ;
for a cry from the cubs when our torches had gone out,
would have enraged the wounded animal so much,
that she would certainly have attacked us, and we

322 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

should have been either killed, or so dreadfully-
crippled that we must have perished miserably in
the cave.

At about a hundred paces from the lair, I stopped
to listen again, but could hear nothing. I now called to
the others to w^ait for me, and when we came to a more
roomy place, which had also been the retreat of a bear,
we held a consultation. Old C. thought that the bear
had lain down by her dead cubs, and that one of us had
better return to the mouth of the cave and fetch another
i-ifle, as it was out of the question trying to pass the
furious animal to get at mine. However, before at-
tempting the long and difficult way back to the entrance,
I resolved to creep again to the lair and see if she was
not dead, for I could not but think that my ball must
have had some effisct. When I got there I could see
nothing of her. j\Iy shout brought the others to the
spot ; so, advancing a Httle, and examining closely, we
saw thick dark blood, and found that, instead of re-
turning to her lair, she had taken the left-hand passage.
I instantly proceeded to regain my rifle, which I found,
covered with blood and shme, about three hundred yards
off. I returned as fast as I possibly could, cleaned it,
and reloaded, when we all started again for a fresh
attack.

The left-hand passage was as bad as the right ; but
luckily the bear had not gone far. We soon reached
the place, where, grinding her teeth, she awaited our
approach. I halted about eight or nine feet from her,
raised myself as high as the space would allow, laid the
rifle over my left arm, in which I held the torch, and,
seizing the time when her head was quiet for an in-

VICTORY AT LAST. 323

stant, I fired. Again the cave echoed the crack of the
rifle, and all was enveloped in thick smoke. I heard
the bear groan and move, but stood my ground, as this
time I knew that my ball had struck the right j^lace :
as the smoke cleared away, she lay dead before me.

Young Conwell and I were half dead from our exer-
tions, and it would have been impossible for us to get
the bear out: — for the time we had been crawlinsr
in the close air of the cave and smoke of the torches,
and the long-continued excitement of constant danger,
were almost too much for the constitution of any man ;
so we decided on returning to the fresh air as fast as
we could. It took us about half an hour to do so,
and I shall never forget tlie effect of the delightfully
cool night air, as I drew it in in long inspirations, and
gazed on the bright-blue starry skies.

Young Smith and the schoolmaster were flist asleep,
but as the dogs barked they both jumped up, and almost
fell down again from fright, for they swore that they
had never seen such horrible figures as we looked in
the red light of the torches, covered with blood and
slime, and blackened with smoke. Judging by the
stars, it must have been about two o'clock in the morn-
ing. Although as hungry as lions, we were too ex-
hausted to touch any thing ; so we lay down and slept till
daybreak. We made a good breakfast, and then, leaving
old Conwell behind, who had done rather too much for
his time of life, we four again entered the cave to bring
out our prizes. We fastened a cord round the old
bear's neck ; I squeezed past, and shoved from be-
hind, while Smith and the schoolmaster pulled, and

324 WILD sroRTs in the far avest.

young Jim Conwell held the hght. "We gained ground
inch by inch, and about noon, amid a general hurrah,
we cast down the carcase by the camp fire, where it
was instantly taken possession of by Bearsgrease, who
laid himself growling by its side.

As we had some way to go home, we only opened
and cleaned her, and broke the spine, so that the car-
case might lay better across a horse. "We reached home
by the evening ; I took a plunge in the river, and then
settled down to sleep.

We rose refreshed the next morning ready for fur-
ther efforts, and concluded to try some caves that old
CouAvell knew of. We provided ourselves with cords
and food, and made tw'o large wax candles, which are
less disagreeable in a close cave than pine torches, give
a better light, and are not so liable to go out. We
arrived at the place in the afternoon, and found eight
or nine caves, from forty to eighty feet deep, but all
empty. We now separated to try different paths, and
agreed that as soon as any one found a trail, he was to
make a signal so that all might join in the chase.

I found a small cave with fresh marks, but no bear.
On returning to the mouth, I heard the dogs, and lis-
tening attentively for a minute or two, I felt sure they
w^ere coming towards me. Presently the noise of rush-
ing through breaking branches w^as very distinct, and at
last a bear broke cover. Throwing himself without
hesitation down a precipice of about ten feet, he came
towards me as fast as his legs would carry him. I stood
still to see how near he would come. At about fifty
paces distance he winded me, stopped short in his cai-eer,

COSE QUARTERS V/lTHBRUiN

ANOTHER BRUIN IN HIS LAIR. 325

snuffed the air for an instant, and then made off in a
different direction. I seized the opportunity offered,
and sent him a ball ; but I was not quite cool enough,
and only wounded him in the hip. Meantime, the
dogs having been stopped by the bluff which Bruin had
so unceremoniously disposed of, he gained a good space
in advance; but the wound checked his speed, and I
could soon distinguish by the dogs' bark that they had
come up with him again, but were keeping out of
reach of his paws. A young man named Erskine, who
was shooting near us, attracted by the report of my
gun and the barking of the dogs, came up and gave the
mortal wound. The two Conwells joined soon after,
and we broke him up together.

Erskine told us that he had found a cave, which he
was sure contained a bear, and asked one of us to go
with him and try it, as he had neither torches nor wax
candles. I was ready at once, took one of the candles,
and explaining to the others w^here they might find us,
we set off, and reached the place about sunset. We
first made a large fire before the entrance of the cave,
and then crept into it, E. preceding. Further on, the
passage grew larger, so that we could walk upright,
side by side. After going some distance, we heard the
regular low whine of the bear, who was sucking his
paws, and Erskine, also a regular bear-hunter, asserted
that he was fast asleep. Passing a sharp turn in the
cave, we discovered him at our feet, and, as my com-
rade had stated, fast asleep, his head between his paws,
uttering a low monotonous whine. Erskine set the
muzzle of the rifle to the back of his head, and fired ;
he gave a convulsive start, and lay dead. I probed the
28

326 WILD sroiiTs ix the fak west.

wound "with my fore finger to see liow for the ball liad
penetrated ; the rifle threw a ball of twent j-two to the
pound ; the skull was completely shattered.

We now decided on getting out of the cave for a
little repose and refreshment, and to await the Con-
wells. AYe found them sitting by the fire, and young
C. offered at once to take the cord and fasten it round
the bear's neck, and try and pull him out alone. Light-
ing one of the candles, he soon disappeared in the
cave. They had examined several other caves, but
had not found any more signs. Extraordinary to
relate, we had not seen a single deer during the course
of our hunt ; the forest seemed deserted, excepting by
a bear or two in the caves, and a very few turkeys.

"We had rested and talked for about half an hour,
when young C. reappeared without the bear, having
found it too heavy, and requiring help. We w^ent, one
and all, taking fresh torches with us, to the scene of
action, and dragged him out, though with considerable
difficulty, as many parts of the route were ill adapted
for the transport of such a mass of flesh. Lying down
by the fire, we slept comfortably till late next morning.
It was near noon ere we could tear ourselves away
from our couches of soft leaves, but as we all agreed
that we must move sooner or later, we got up, loaded
the horses with our prizes, and moved off towards
Conwell's dwelUng in as direct a line as the nature of
the country would allow. "We kept no look-out for
game on our way home, having meat enough, and being
almost tired to death.

We received a hearty welcome from Conwell's family,
and we resolved to enjoy a little repose after all our

BACKWOODS DEBATING SOCIETY. 327

hard work. In spite of the bears and bats that I
encountered in my dreams, I awoke quite refreshed,
and did full justice to the beautiful breakfast of bear-
collops, milk, and maize bread. Perhaps the wild out-
door life which we had been leading may have lent
more charms to the quiet life of this happy home, than
under other circumstances I should have been sensible
of; but, be that as it may, I shall never forget this
amiable family. Old C. and I sat the whole day by
the fireside, mending our leggings and moccasins. He
was certainly the last man in the world to neglect
spinning a yarn when he had a good opportunity, and
he told me so many anecdotes, and related so many
adventures, that the day passed away only too soon.

About an hour before sunset, a neighbor came in
to inquire whether we would go with him to the
debates. " Debates ! " I asked, quite astonished, " what
does that mean ? " He seemed still more astonished at
my ignorance, and explained that, on every Friday, it
was the custom to hold a paeeting at the school-house,
about two miles off, to debate on any subject which
might be proposed, and in which the scholars took
part. The account excited my curiosity still more, and
I decided on no account to miss such an opportunity.
Old C. had frequented these meetings too often to be
induced to leave his comfortable fireside ; but I saddled
a horse at once, and was soon at the school.

Imagine a large smoky building in the midst of a
forest, with dark, dusty windows ; a broad, well-worn
door-stone ; a heavy iron-bound door ; and rules and
regulations pasted up here and there in the room. A
number of horses, fastened to the surrounding trees,

328 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

sliowed that several of the debaters were already
assembled. A bright fire burned in the chimney,
the room ■was nearly full, and ahiiost everybody "vvas
talking. At length order was established, and the
company proceeded to the business of the evening.
Two judges and two leaders were selected. The judges
took their places in the centre, while the leaders
stationed themselves on opposite sides, each taking it
in turns to choose a follower from the persons present.
The question to be decided was this : " In a thickly
inhabited district, where much cattle was reared, there
was only one parish bull. The district was on the
bank of a broad river, and the inhabitants were obliged
to cross it very often, as all the mills and tanneries
were on the other side — but there was only one ferry-
boat, passed to and fro by a single rope. The bull got
down to the ferry, and on board the boat, and gnawed
the rope in two ; the boat floated down the river with
the bull, and boat and bull were never seen again."
These were the facts, now comes the question, "• Who
is to pay the damage for the loss ? The owner of the
boat for carrying off the bull, or the owner of the
bull, because, from some malicious though undis-
covered intention, he stole the boat ? "

It was highly amusing to see one after another
stand np, and seriously defend the cause of the bull,
or the boat ; others again talked all sorts of nonsense
for a quarter of an hour, and then sat down with the
remark that it was unnecessary to say more, as the
case was so clear that the judges could not do other-
wise than give a decision in their favor. After all
had been heard, myself included, the judges consulted

KNOTTY POINTS OF DEBATE. 329

together, and the owner of the bull was condemned to
pay the expenses. The next question was : " AYhich is
better, a single or a married life ? " The judges were
not quite impartially chosen. The wife of one had
run off with a young man to Texas, three years ago ;
the wife of the other had three times borne twins. I
was chosen on the married side with the school-
master, three or four other young men, and six or
seven of the scholars. We defended our cause with
glowing animation — but one judge thought of Texas,
and the other of the twins, and our scale kicked the
beam. Several other questions were discussed ; among
them, " Which is worse, a smoky chimney or a scolding
wife ? " Left undecided. At last I was invited to
propose a subject, but I would not consent until I
received assurance that it should be discussed : " Which
enjoys life most, has fewer cares, and lighter sorrows — •
a short or a long-tailed dog ? " But by this time it was
late, and time to adjourn ; so the house was soon
left to its solitude in the forest, and the party dispersed
in all directions to their dwellings.

On the morning of the 22nd January, Old Conwell
and I shouldered our rifles, and each provided with
meat and bread, we wandered towards the waters of
the Richland. Lucky was it that we took provisions,
for not a shot did we fire. Next day was ahnost as
bad, and if Conwell had not knocked over a turkey,
we should have been reduced to chew sassafras. At
length on the third day, he shot a deer and I a tui-key,
which put a little life into the dogs. Disgusted with
our bad luck, we decided on returning home next
day ; besides, the weather was bad, and tlireatened to
28*

330 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

be worse. To our inexpressible joy, snow fell during
the night, and all thoughts of return vanished. We
took different directions, with the agreement to return
to camp in the evening. I had not gone far when I
saw footsteps of a young buck in the four-inch deep
snow, followed him up and shot him. I heard the
report of Conwell's rifle about the same time. Hanging
up the deer, I walked on. After lounging along slowly
for above an hour, without seeing any tiling, I came
across the track of Conwell, who, with his dog, had
been following up the bloody trail of a panther ; I
gathered from the signs that he had broken his left
hind leg. I followed it up on the instant, as fast as
my legs could carry me ; in rather more than an hour
I arrived at the mouth of a cave, where Conwell was
awaiting me, knowing that I should cross his trail,
and follow it up as soon as I saw the marks of the
panther.

The wounded brute had taken refuge in the cave,
leaving us to act as we pleased, probably thinking

himself quite safe. We held a short consultation ;

Conwell said, that he had hidden a bundle of kindlers
in a hole, and that if I would keep watch here, he
would go and fetch them. I consented, of course,
and laid myself down before the cave, with bare knife
and cocked rifle. Lying in the snow, however, was
any thing but agreeable ; at first, when I was warm
with running, I thought nothing of it, but by degrees
I became colder and colder, till my teeth chattered. I
could not venture to lay aside the rifle to make a fire,
for fear the panther should escape. I managed to keep
up a little warmth by running and jumping, but was

A PANTHER IN A CAVE. 331

very glad when my old friend returned and made a
good fire.

As soon as we were well Avarmed, we made torches,
and entered the cave as cautiously as possible, each
with a burning torch in his left hand, and a rifle
in the right. I went first, but the cave was soon
roomy enough to admit of our walking upright beside
each other. Some distance in, it took a turn to the
left, and about two hundred paces in advance we saw
the fiery eyeballs of the beast, who kept shutting them
from time to time. Conwell, taking my torch, stepped
behind me, while I took aim and fired. We heard a
noise after the shot, but could not make out the result ;
I reloaded as fast as possible, while Conwell went in
advance, but we could see nothing more of the animal's
eyes. We went on with cocked rifles on our left arm.
Moving silently and cautiously forward, we suddenly
discovered the panther in a little hollow close to our
feet, a beautiful but alarming sight, his ears laid back,
his teeth gnashing in wild rage, and his glowing eyes
so wide open, that they seemed half out of their
sockets. Inspired by one impulse, we both fired so
exactly together, that neither knew that the other had
done so. Our enemy was hit, but whether mortally,
or not was more than we could tell. Dropping our
rifles like lightning, we drew our knives ; a sore need
we had of them, for before the sound of the rifles
expired, we felt the weight of the panther upon us.
I drove my knife into him, and sprang back; our
torches were extinguished; it all passed so quickly,
that I did not recover full possession of my senses,
till I stood beside my old friend in the fresh air at

332 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

the mouth of the cave. I only remember that, in the
impenetrable darkness and thick smoke, I did not
know which way to* turn, and that Conwell dragged
me out. When we came into the light of day, we
found ourselves covered with sweat and blood, and our
clothes all torn.

Conwell complained of pain in the breast. Tearing
open his shirt, we found two deep gashes from the left
shoulder to the pit of the stomach ; I had escaped with
only a few scratches. We had neither of us felt when
we were wounded, but before we troubled ourselves
about it, w^e made a fire in the mouth of the cave to
prevent the panther from coming out; then washed
and bound up our wounds, and sat by the fire to con-
sider what was next to be done. There was the pan-
ther in the cave, whether alive or dead we knew not.
At any rate, he was badly wounded, for both our knives,
with blades nine inches long, were bloody to the hilt.
But indeed we had no choice ; our rifles, and Conwell's
ball-pouch, which the brute had torn away, were still in
the cave.

It might perhaps have been possible to suffocate the
panther with smoke, but there might have been
another opening, and then we should have had our
trouble for nothing. We soon made up our minds, and
entered the cave again with fresh torches and bare
knives, but not without beating hearts. We moved
silently and cautiously on, holding the torches well
before us, so as not to be so agreeably surprised a
second time. We recovered our rifles without seeins:
the enemy. I held both the torches while Conwell
loaded his rifle, then gave them to him while I loaded

WATCHFIRE AND WOUNDS. 333

mine ; and having our faithful weapons once more in
our hands, we stepjDed forward again still slowly and
silently, but with lighter hearts. " There ! " suddenly
called out C, holding his torch aloft, and staring
before him ; it was the first word spoken since we re-
entered the cave. The panther lay stretched on the
ground ; no longer dangerous, for the last convulsions
were over. We skinned him and cut him up ; all the
balls had taken effect, and both our knives had pierced
his body, so that it was only in his death-struggle that
he sprang upon us. "We took the skin, although it
almost looked like a sieve, and returned to our fire.

It was night by the time we came out of the cave,
and, with hungry stomachs, lay all four by the fire ;
for neither Ave nor the dogs had any fancy to eat the
panther. Conwell suffered very much from his wound,
but towards morning he fell into a tolerably quiet
sleep. We moved off with the first gleam of day to
the place where I had hung up the buck, breakfasted
there, and started for fresh game.

IMeantime it had become warmer. The snow had
disappeared, but all the game seemed to have gone on
their travels ; for although we saw signs enough,
not a shot could Ave get. In the night Ave Avere
aAvakened by a thin cold rain, and ha\'ing no mind to
get Avet through, Ave jumped up, cut poles Avith our
lieaA-y knives, and spreading my blanket, A\diich Avas
the largest, over them, and laying ourselves on the
other, underneath it, after making up the fire afresh,
that the rain might not put it out, Ave Avere soon fiist
asleep.

Next morning brought fresh troubles, but no rcAvard.

334 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

Dispirited,- we wandered the whole day through the
wet forest, without seeing a turkej. The meat we had
brought with us was getting low, as we had not
been very saving of it, and had given the larger
share to the dogs ; after breakfast there was one
small piece left for each to share with his dog at
night; still hoping, we walked on cautiously and at-
tentively till late at night, without seeing even so much
as a vulture.

On the morning of the 29th of January, we sat by
the fire with empty stomachs, and stared sorrowfully
at the crackling flames. At length Conwell burst out
with a loud laugh, and asked whether we were forced
to remain in this deserted spot, and why we should not
go home. But I would not give it up yet; to go
home with nothing but a panther's skin full of holes
was too bad, and I begged for one more day ; at any
rate, if we found nothing before twelve o'clock, we
could then meet at the camp and return home. In
silence, and on the watch for the merest trifles, I
wandered with Bearsgrease through all the places
where hitherto I had almost always found game,
without meeting a sign; and my hunger was quite
painful. How I thought of shooting parties at home,
where one was sure of finding some sort of a house
every half hour ; here, was only thick forest, where
one wet dripping tree looked exactly like another.
And yet it was not without its charms. For instance,
every now and then you were entangled by the thorns
of the black locust, or if your slippery moccasins caused
you to fall, you might be sure of findmg some of them
conveniently placed to receive you.

OFF AGAIN AFTER GAME. 335

I returned to the camp about noon, exhausted and
dispirited, and found my old comrade stretched qui-
etly by the fire. He said he had been waiting for
me about a couple of hours ; that it was very clear
there was no game to shoot ; and I was now of the
same opinion. lieartily sick of the useless fatigue, we
shouldered the skin and our blankets, and left the
place with heavy hearts and weary limbs.

It Avas long after dark when we arrived at Conwell's
home, and received the usual kind welcome, and we
were heartily laughed at, when, instead of bringing pro-
visions, we fell, like famished wolves, upon every thing
eatable that came in our way. A long draught of
fresh milk did me, above every thing else, an immensity
of good.

I would willingly have enjoyed a day's rest; but
Con well — who, in spite of his deep gashes, which were
not yet healed, was as fresh and strong as ever after hia
first meal, and could not remain quiet under the circum-^
stances — impressed on me the necessity of trying again,
otherwise people would believe that we had lost the
power of shooting a deer. So we were off again before
noon, gained the source of the Hurricane, rode across
the " Devil's Stepping Path," a narrow rock with a
precipice on each side, left the Pilot-rock on our left,
and came towards evening into the pine forests, where
we were sure of finding kindlers. Descending the
steep side of a mountain, we observed a column of thin
blue smoke by the side of a stream, showing that some
hunters were encamped there. We went straight to-
wards it, and found it to be an Indian camp, and our
former acquaintance, young Erskine, among them.

336 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

They were Cherotees with three young Choctaws,
these two tribes being on good teiTns. Like ourselves,
they were out bear-hunting, but had had better luck.
A quantity of bear meat was hanging about the camp,
and even the dogs could eat no more. Casting our-
selves do\Mi by the fire, one of the squaws — for there
were several wonien in the camp — immediately cooked
some bear for us, with which we duly regaled our-
selves.

Night came on, and soon all were sunk in deep
repose. I was not inclined to sleep, and Bearsgrease,
who had tired himself with chasing a gang of turkeys,
which escaped at last by flying across a ravine, lay
close to me, with his head on my left arm. Soon he
began to dream, scrambling with his feet as if running,
and barking in a low voice. Watching him brought
to my mind a story which was told me by an old bear-
killer, to the effect, that if a man lays his pocket-hand-
kerchief over the head of a dreaming dog, letting it
stay till the dream is out, then lays it under his own
head, and falls asleep, he will have the same dream
that the dog had. A pocket-handkerchief was a luxury
I had dispensed with, but I laid my Scotch cap on my
dog's head, under which he went on dreaming, and
when he awoke I laid it under my own head, and was
goon asleep. It was perhaps owing to the idea under
which I fell asleep, although in general I can never
dream what I wish, but, be that as it may, I soon found
myself running desperately after turkeys, and never
stopped, till I had chased them into a tree, when I
stood looking up at them without thinking of shooting.
Just then my dog gave a loud bark, and I jumped up

HUNTING WITH THE INDIANS SKELETONS. 337

One of the Indians had risen to look to the fire, and
Bearsgrease thought it rather suspicious. My beautiful
dream was gone, and I could no longer recollect whether
I barked or not. I fell asleep again, but the dream
never returned.

Early in the morning we began to move, dividing
into two parties, for the better chance of finding game.
Conwell went with some of the Indians, amongst whom
he had found an old acquaintance, to make a circuit
round the Pilot-rock, while Erskine and I, with three
Cherokees, proceeded to the sources of the Frog bayou.

About ten o'clock we came to a cave, which seemed
worth examining. We made torches, there being plenty
of strips of pine lying about ; it was settled that I
should try my luck, with one of the Indians. Erskine
remained with the two others by the fire, saying he
had searched so many caves within the last four days
without finding any thing, that he was tired of it. The
entrance was rather small, but it became gradually
larger, and we went a long way in. There were
evidences of its having been tried before, as we found
moccasin marks, and pieces of burnt wood. An un-
expected sight suddenly arrested our progress, — the
skeletons of a man and of a bear, lying peaceably
within three feet of each other. A rifle thickly covered
with rust, and a corroded knife, lay by the side of the
first, and some glass beads convinced us that it was
the skeleton of an Indian, who had bravely attacked
the bear single-handed, and had fallen in the struggle,
the skeleton of the bear proving that he had sold his
life dearly.

The skeleton was perfect, except some of the small
29

338 WILD srORTs in the far west.

bones, which rats or snakes might have carried off. The
Indian pointed in silence to the upper bone of the
right arm, which was broken, and the knife was lying
on the left side.

The sight of these remains of a human being, which
may have lain there for j^ears, Avhile his footsteps were
still so fresh in the moist earth, was deeply affecting.
As I was about to pass on, the Indian laid his hand
on my arm, and shook his head, saying, in broken
English, " The sj^irit of the red man is in the cave,
and Wachiga goes no further." Nothing could induce
him to go on — all my persuasions were fruitless ; point-
ing to the bones, he said, " The bones of the red man
belonged to a gi-eat chief; the bear seeks no bed where
the hunter sleeps.'* As this last remark seemed well
founded, and as the sight had shaken me too much
for me to go alone, we turned back without touching
the remains.

We found Erskine alone, and told him what we had
seen, but he did not seem at all inclined to visit the
remains. We found three other caves, but no bear:
Erskine and the Indians tried the two first, Erskine
and I the last. The cave separated into two passages ;
Erskine took the right, I the left, and as I proceeded I
found plenty of marks. The cave was so small that I
was obliged to leave eveiy thing but a torch and my
knife ; I could not even turn myself from one side to
the other to change my attitude. I had taken off my
hunting shirt, and had on nothing but a cotton shirt
and leggings, and was working on, inch by inch, with
tolerable certainty of finding a bear. The passage was
quite round, and in many places as smooth as glass

NARROW QUARTERS WACHIGA. 339

from being rubbed by wild beasts. In one place I
found the skin of a rattle-snake.

At length I got so completely jammed in that I
could neither move backwards nor forwards. The
perspiration burst from every pore, and for a minute
or two I lay motionless ; then I again exerted all my
efforts to force myself backwards, and, to my indescrib-
able satisfaction, at length succeeded, leaving, however,
the greater part of my shirt behind me ; and my
delight may be imagined when I again inhaled the
fresh air. My hair stood on end at the fearful thought
of sticking fast in such a hole, buried alive, and dying
of hunger.

Night found us far from our camp, so we made one
for ourselves where we were. Wachiga, who had be-
come very pensive, sat smoking his tomahawk and
stai-ing at the fire. Notwithstanding that he had been
converted to Christianity, he had still some remains of
the old superstition. Erskine was in high good humor,
and told one droll story after another.

On the next morning, February 1st, we had
hardly started ere we heard the dogs. Wachiga de-
clared instantly that they were his brother's, and dis-
appeared behind the rocks without another word. As
we stood listening, the sound seemed to take a different
direction ; we ascended the mountain as fast as we
could to cut off the chase, but found that we must
have been mistaken, for in a few minutes all was
silent as the grave ; once we thought we heard a shot,
but could not be certain. We ascended to the highest
terrace and walked slowly on, looking out for fresh
signs, and listening to catch the sound of the dogs ;

340 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

below, amongst the broken masses of rock, they might
be neai; without being heard, while on the mountain
tops they are audible at a great distance.

It may have been about two in the afternoon, and
we had liitherto seen nothing, when Bearsgrease raised
his nose in the air, remained for an instant or two in a
fixed position, then giving a short smothered howl,
dashed down the mountain side. Listening attentively,
we heard the chase coming down the Hurricane river.
Erskine called out triumphantly, " We shall have plenty
of bear this evening," and dashed after the dog. I
was soon by his side. I must observe, by the way,
that we were both very hungry. Presently a bear
broke through the bushes ; a projecting rock stopped
him for an instant, when Erskine saluted him with a
ball : he received mine as he rushed past, and dis-
appeared. The dogs, encouraged to greater efforts by
our shots and the stronger scent, followed him out,
Bearsgrease, who was quite fresh, leading the van.
They soon came up with him, and stopped him. We
rushed to the spot without waiting to reload, and
arrived in time to see the beast, excited to the greatest
fury, kill four of our best dogs with as many blows of
his paws; but the others only threw themselves on
him with the greater animosity, and if our rifles had
been loaded we could not have used them. Just as a
large powerful brown dog which had furiously attacked
the bear was knocked over bleeding and howling,
Erskine called out, " Oh, save the dogs," threw down
his rifle, and rushed on with his knife among the
furious group; I followed on the instant. When the
bear saw us coming, he exerted still more force to beat

THE FATAL BEAR HUNT.

OUR FATAL TEMERITY ERSKINE'S DEATH. 341

off the dogs, and meet us. Seizing his opportunity,
mj comrade ran his steel into his side. The bear
turned on him Hke lightning, and seized him ; he
uttered a shrill piercing shriek. Driven to desperation
by the sight, I plunged my knife three times into tlie
monster's body with all my force, v.dthout thinking of
jumping back ; at the third thrust the bear turned
upon me. Seeing his paw coming, I attempted to evade
the blow, felt a sharp pang, and sunk senseless to the
ground.

Wlien I recovered my senses, Bearsgrease was
licking the blood from my face. On attempting to
rise, I felt a severe pain in my left side, and was unable
to move my left arm. On making a fresh effort to
rise, I succeeded in sitting up. The bear was close to
me, and — less than three feet from him lay Erskine,
stiff and cold. I sprang up with a cry of horror, and
rushed towards him. It was too true ; he was bathed
in blood, his face torn to pieces, his right shoulder
almost wrenched away from his body, and five of the
best dogs ripped up and with broken limbs lying beside
him. The bear was so covered with blood that his
color was hardly discernible. My left arm appeared
to be out of the socket, but I could feel that no bones
were broken.

The sun had gone down, and I had hoped that the
other hunters might have heard our shots and the
barking and howling of the dogs. It grew dark. No
one came. I roared and shouted like mad ; no one
heard me. I tried to hght a fire, but my left arm was
so swelled that I gave up the attempt. But as it would
have been certain death to pass the night under these,
20*

342 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST

circumstances without a fire, I tore away part of the
back of my hunting shirt, the fore part being saturated
with blood, sprinkled some powder on it, rubbed it
well in, all with my right hand, shook a little powder
into my rifle, and placing the muzzle on the rag, I fired,
when it began to burn immediately. Blowing it up to
a flame, I piled on dry leaves, twigs, &c., and succeeded
in making a good fire, though with great pain and
trouble. It was now dark. I went to my dead com-
rade, who was lying about five yards from the fire. lie
was already stiff, and it was wdth great difliiculty that
I could pull down his arms and lay him straight ; nor
could I keep his eyes closed, though I laid small stones
on them.

The dogs were very hungry, but as it was impossible
for me to break up the bear, I only ripped him up, and
fed them with his entrails. Bearsgrease laid himself
down by ilio corpse, lookiiig bieadfastly in its face, and
went no more near the bear. In the hope of obtaining
help, I loaded and fired twice, but nothing moved : the
forest appeared one enormous grave.

I felt very ill, vomited several times, and my shoulder
was excessively painful. Winding my blanket round
me as well as I could, I laid myself down beside the
fire, and lost all consciousness of my wretched situation ;
whether I slept or fainted is more than I can tell, but
I know that I dreamed I was at home, in bed, and
my mother brought me some tea and laid her hand on
my breast ; I heard the children in the street making
a noise, and saw the snow on the roofs of the houses,
and thought it must be very cold out of doors.

Such an awakening as I had was worse than I could

A TERRIBLE NIGHT. 343

wish to my bitterest enemy. Bearsgrease had jiressed
close to my side, laying his head on my breast ; the fire
was almost out, I was shivering with cold, and the
Avolves were howling fearfully around the dead, keeping
at a distance for fear of the living, but by no means
disposed to lose their prey. I rose with difficulty, and
laid more wood on the fire. As it burnt up, the face
of the corpse seemed to brighten. I started, but found
it was only an optical delusion. Louder and fiercer
howled the wolves, and the dogs, of whom five were
alive besides Bearsgrease, answered them ; but the
answer was by no means one of defiance — rather a
lament for the dead. Partly to scare away the wolves,
partly in the hope of finding help, I loaded and fired
three times ; my delight was inexpressible as I heard
three shots in return. I loaded and fired till all my
powder was expended. As morning broke, I heard
two shots not far off*, and soon after, a third. A ship-
wrecked mariner, hanging on to a single plank, could
not raise his voice more lustily to hail a passing ship,
than I did then — and, joy upon joy, I heard a human
voice in answer. The bark of the dogs announced a
stranger, and Wachiga advanced out of the bush. " Wah ! "
he exclaimed, starting at the shocking spectacle. He
felt poor Erskine, and shook his head mournfully. He
then turned to me. I showed him my swollen arm,
which he examined attentively, without speaking. Form-
ing a hollow with his two hands, and placing them
to his hps, he gave a loud piercing shout. The an-
swer came from no great distance, and in a few
minutes my dear old Conwell, and most of the Indians,
were at my side. I grasped Conwell's hand sorrow-

344 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

fully, and told him in few words how it had all happened.
The old man scolded, and said it served us right ; there
was no jrreat dan^fer in stickinsi; a knife into a bear's
paunch, when he is falhng, with the dogs upon him,
but if he has been thrown, and then catches sight of
his greatest enemy, man, he exerts all his force to attack
him, and woe to him who comes within reach of his
paws. It was all very well talking ; he had not been
present, and seen one dog after another knocked over
never to rise again ; five minutes more, and not one
would have been saved, and who knows whether the
enraged beast would not have attacked us, then.

Meantime, the Indians had been digging a grave with
their tomahawks. "Wrapping the body in a blanket,
they laid him in it, and covered him with earth and
heavy stones. Conwell cut down some young stems,
and made a fence round the solitary grave. I could
not avoid a shudder at the quiet coohiess of the whole
proceeding, as the thought struck me, that the same
persons, under the same circumstances, would have
treated me in the same cool way, had I fallen instead
of Erskine. Like me, he was a lonely stranger in a
foreign land, having left England some years before,
and liis friends and relations will probably never know
what has become of him. Thousands perish in this
way in America, of whom nothing more is heard, and
perhaps in a few months the remembrance of them has
entirely passed away.

After the dead was quietly laid in the grave, ^achiga
came with an elderly Indian to look at my arm.
Wachiga moved it, while the other looked steadfastly
in my face : the pain was enough to drive me mad, but

A PRIMITIVE OrERATION. 345

I would not utter a sound. Next the old Indian took
liold of my arm, laying his left hand on my shoulder,
and while Wachiga suddenly seized me round the body
from behind, the other pulled with all his force. The
pain at first was so great that I almost fainted ; but it
gradually diminished ; in spite of my resolve to show
no signs of it, I could not suppress a shriek. Conwell
soon after asked if I could ride. On my answering
" yes," he helped me on a horse ; then throwing the
bear's skin and some of the meat on his own, we moved
slowly homewards. My sufferings on the way were
very great, but I uttered no murmur. I only longed
for repose. At nightfall we had still four miles to go.
He asked me if I could support the pain and fatigue,
or if we should camp where we were, as there was
plenty of wood and water. I would rather have ridden
forty miles, let alone four, with the hope of rest at the
end of them. We arrived in about an hour. I was so
stiff that I could hardly get off the horse. On enter-
ing the room I threw myself on a bed, and had a violent
fever during the night, and talked wildly — fortunately
in German. Towards morning I began to feel better,
had a quiet sleep, and woke up about noon much
refreshed. Meantime, old Conwell had related all that
had occurred, and they attended me like a son. It
took two more days before I could move out of bed and
was able to stand.

I was hardly so far recovered as to be able to crawl
about, when Conwell proposed another hunt, and
although I had suffered so much, I could not say " No."
On the 6th February we rode out again, but there was

O-LO AYILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

no longer any life in the thing ; we found the same
Indians, hunted with them a few days, shot a few deer,
some turkeys, and a young bear, returning on the 12th,
Conwell with two deer-skins and some haunches, I with
a turkey.

By this time my arm was quite healed. Neverthe-
less, I had made up my mind to leave the mountains
and go southwards, partly from a returning fit of my
old love of change, partly because I longed for news
from home, not having received any letters for several
months, and partly also because game had become so
scarce through the number of hunters, that there was
hardly enough to subsist on. We heard that a party
of twelve men had been along the Richland and killed
or driven away every thing, and that during the last
three days not a turkey was to be seen. The news of
game from other quarters was no better ; in short
there was nothing for it but off! off! IVlien I was
once more surrounded by my old friend's amiable fam-
ily, and passed another evening amongst them, my reso-
lution was indeed shaken ; however, during the night
I gave it mature consideration, and iri the morning I
told them that I should that day take my departure.
Attempts were immediately made to dissuade me from
it, and old Conwell asked in downright earnest if I
could not stay with them always, and take the . school.
The present schoolmaster was ignorant and a drunkard,
and they would have been glad to be rid of him. For
a moment, indeed, but only for a moment, my fancy
depicted the delights of a home amongst the mountains,
then the image of my old village schoolmaster flashed

I DECLINE TAKING A FARM. 347

across my mind, with his threadbare bhxck coat, false
collars, and shirt-front, and his frame as thin as a
skeleton. I shook my head mournfully. He changed
his plan, and proposed that I should take a farm.
But that I had also reflected on : I was too poor, and
although the kind people would have done every thing
in their power to help me, I should have been too
dependent; for although much is not required to set
up farming in America, still there must be something,
and it does not look well for the beginner to be always
borrowing horse or plow, axe, spade, saw — in short,
every farming and household utensil, until at last
the most patient man would be worn out, and every-
body would be alarmed the moment they saw the
borrower coming. I was once witness of such a
beginning: a family that came to the forest without any
means, were at first most liberally assisted by their
neighbors ; they helped them with their fences, in build-
ing their house, in clearing and ploughing the land, and
lent them every thing, even to flour and pork ; but how
could people who began thus ever become independent ?
It took years before they could procure the most neces-
sary articles for' themselves.

My old friend acknowledged the truth of the picture,
and my journey was settled for the morrow.

My store of bears' fat and skins was not so large but
that I could pack it on one horse, for the greater
part of the skins, which had been exposed to the wet
weather, were spoiled. The skins were made up into
two bundles, one on each side of the horse, while a deer-
skin sack, containing about eight gallons of bears' fat,
lay across the pommel. One of Conwell's sons, who

348 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR AVEST.

had his father's booty to dispose of, accompanied me,
and thus on the following morning we set off for the
little town of Ozark on the Arkansas.

I was very sorrowful on leaving this place, where
the kind treatment of these good people had so com-
pletely gained my affections, and I was obliged to cut
short my leave-taking to hide my emotions.

Another grief that weighed heavily on my heart
was parting with my faithful dog. Intending to give
up shooting, and to proceed to New Orleans, and un-
certain under what circumstances I might arrive there,
I would not willingly expose the noble creature, who
promised to turn out remarkably well, to become a
mere mud-scraper in the streets. Moreover, my old
comrade had become attached to him, and requested to
have him, while my fair friends promised to take good
care of him. So they tied him up, and as I was about
to ride off, and he found he was not to go with me, he
looked so entreating and affectionate with his intelli-
gent eyes, that I was obliged to turn away to hide my
tears.

My companion exerted himself to chase away my
mournful thoughts, telling ail sorts of droll stories as
we rode through the forest ; and at length I made an
attempt at least to appear cheerful.

In the afternoon w^e reached a tavern, which was also
a store, not far from the town. Here we disposed of
our goods, though to no great advantage, and, accord-
ing to the custom, as whiskey was not sold by the glass,
we ordered a quart, and sat down in a corner to discuss
a portion of it. AYe found here tw^o other men, dressed
as hunters, who were playing cards before the door.

A RENCONTRE. 349

sitting on the trunk of a tree ; a third leaning against
the house, was fast asleep ; his features seemed familiar
to me, but I could not recollect where I had seen him,
till one of the card-players caught my eye, and held
out his hand, asking if I did not remember Bahren's
wretched steel mill at which we had been grinding
together. This recalled the whole scene to my memory,
as well as the sleeper — I had left him sleeping, and he
was still asleep.

As young Conwell had finished his business, and
could not remain any longer, because he wished tc stop
at a house which stood some miles on his road home,
we took a hearty leave of each other, when he mounted
and soon disappeared in the forest, driving before
him my horse and^ a pack-horse he had brought with
him.

30

CHAPTER XL

A FATAL BRAWL RETURN TO LITTLE ROCK SUM-
MARY JUSTICE DOWN SOUTH.

Drunken brawl at a whiskey-shop, and its lamentable consequences
— Little Kock and its vicinity — Shooting at the " salt licks " —
Justice in the backwoods — Summary proceedings against hoi'se-
stealers — Curing skins — The dreams of dogs — Departure for
New Orleans — The 4th of July.

The two hmiters had finished their game, and were
sitting with me over the whiskey, conversing about old
times, when six more arrived, dressed hke ourselves
with leggings and moccasins, armed with rifles and
knives ; they brought several empty bottles, which
they caused to be replenished, and they all seemed to
be in a fair way of getting drunk. As they were
rolling about, one of them tumbled over the feet of
the sleeper, who just mumbled some indistinct words,
and fell off again. This seemed to afford them much
amusement, and they began to tickle him under the
nose with blades of grass, laughing immoderately at
the faces he made. The two other young Americans
told them very civilly to leave off, alleging that the
sleeper was their friend, that liis sleepiness was a dis-
ease which he could not help, and begging them to
leave him in peace. A scornful burst of loud laughter
was the answer. They said they could and would do
as they chose, and one of them had the goodness to
(350)

WHISKEY AND BLOODSHED. 351

say, that he could cat us up altogether. My blood
was already on the boil. Still it was clearly no
business of mine ; a somewhat ruder practical joke at
length awoke the sleeper, who was a strong-built man.
He was still the butt of their wit, while yawning and
stretching his limbs, till suddenly on looking round
on the circle, he seemed to catch a glimmering of
what had taken place. His yawning was checked,
and looking round attentively, he listened to their
remarks, when the greatest braggart amongst them
stepped up to him, and laughing in his face, wished
him a good morning ; in another instant, he lay
bleeding on the ground from a blow of the sleeper's
fist. This was the signal for a general row, and nine
blades glittered in the rays of the setting sun. My
knife was out as quickly as any of the others, and we
had a regular hand-to-hand combat ; as long as I live
I hope never to see such another. It all passed so
quickly, that I <;an only recollect that I defended
myself against two tall fellows, that my left hand
pained me much, and that one of my opponents
uttered a loud cry. At this instant a shot was heard,
and one of the strangers reeled and fell ; it acted like
an electric stroke on both parties ; all the knives were
lowered, and every one appeared to be interested about
the wounded man. The sleeper lost no time in
throwing himself on his horse, which was tied up at
the gate, and soon vanished in the forest. All were
sobered in an instant, yet no one thought of ffivinj?
chase ; all were intent on endeavoring to save the
wounded man. But in vain ; as the sun sank behind
a range of red clouds he breathed his last.

352 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

The two other Americans now beckoned to me to
follow them; and not knowing whether the friends
of the fallen man might not avenge themselves in
secret, they mounted, and one of them taking me up
behind him, we started at a gallop along a narrow
path leading into the interior, following the distinct
hoof-marks of the fugitive's horse. We halted at
dark and made a fire ; setting off again at daybreak,
we soon arrived at the burnt-out fire of our comrade,
who was again peaceably sleeping unconcerned about
any pursuit. Yet he must have thought one probable ;
for a cocked pistol lay by his side, although his morbid
drowsiness had got the better of his fears.

I gently removed the pistol for fear of accident,
and awoke him. I had hardly touched his shoulder
when he made a gi-asp at the vacant place ; but he
soon recognized us, and we made him understand that
this was not the best place to sleep in undisturbed.
He admitted that himself ; a hasty breakfast was
devoured, and we took time to wash our hands from
human blood, partly our own, partly that of others.
My left hand, which I had hastily bound up the night
before, began to be very painful ; I had received a
thrust through the palm, and the sinews w^ere exposed.
Laying wood-ashes on the wound I bandaged it again.
I had also received a slight cut on the left side. All
the others were more or less hurt ; indeed, I seemed to
have come off the best.

After breakfast, we left the path and struck into
the forest, by no means following my intended direc-
tion to the south-west ; so I took a friendly leave of
the three men, turned to the right, and soon lost

"WOUNDED AND ALONE A PRIZE. 353

sight of them. I have never seen them since, and do
not even know their names, nor they mine, though
we fought side by side, and fled together. Chance
had thrown us into each other's society, common
interest had united us for a moment, and now each
went his way, caring neither who the other might
be, nor what his occuj^ation ; a true jjicture of Amer-
ican hfe.

I was again alone, and on foot, and could only
make short journeys, as my hand M^as very painful,
and the wound in my side, though not deep., began
to suppurate. Lounging slowly on, and keeping my
direction as well as I could, I followed the course of
<i small stream, and was looking out for a convenient
place to camp for the night, when I observed a
young buck feeding, without the slightest suspicion
of the approach of any being likely to disturb his
peace. He passed away in the same happy thought,
for my ball pierced his brain. On pulling out my
knife to break him up, I could not avoid a shudder
on observing the dark stains of blood — of human
blood. I washed it carefully, for I could not bear
the sight.

I did not take the trouble to skin the deer ; in fact,
I could not with my wounded hand. So, taking the
liver and kidneys, with part of the back, I made a
good fire, and soon lay stretched before it enveloped
in my blanket, with my body, but not my mind in
repose.

I lay for a long time staring at the burning embers,
recalling my former Hfe, and forming gloomy pictures
of the future ; at last I fell asleep from fatigue. A
30*

354 "WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR AYEST.

penetrating icy feeling awoke me ; it Avas raining
Lard ; the fire was out ; all was dark, and the present
was not calculated to sweeten the past. I pulled my
wet blanket closer around me, and in the depths of my
wretchedness, abused all the four elements, with the
wind and rain into the bargain. Day came at last.
Your dweller in towns, when he rises out of his v/arm
bed, and hears the rain beat against the window,
looks down for a minute or two on the people hur-
rying along in the street, pitying those who are driven
out in such unpleasant weather by business or neces-
sity ; then turns carelessly to his breakfast, growling
perhaps because he has let his tea or coffee get cold,
and at last throws himself on a sofa. How different
the case with the backwoodsman ! UnroUing himself
from his wet blanket, shaking his wet hair, shivering
with cold, devouring a morsel of cold, wet venison,
not as a dainty, but to satisfy hunger ; then wringing
his blanket, and laying another piece of venison in its
folds, he hangs it on his back, and continues his journey
through the cold, wet forest ; the lock of his riHe, and
the inside of the powder-horn, being the only dry
things about the whole man. How various the course
of things in this world. The cold and wet had in-
flamed and swelled my hand, which pained me much ;
I cut a long strip from the skin of the deer's back,
and made a sling of it for my arm, packed my other
things over my shoulder, grasped my rifle, and wan-
dered along under the dripping trees, turning my back
on the cold wind and rain.

As the day advanced, I became less dissatisfied with
my fate and wdth the weather. I was indtfierent to

RETURX TO SLOWTRAP'S LITTLE ROCK. 355

both, and could even laugh when a bush knocked my
cap off, and cast it into a pool, while the wet branches
slapped my face. At length the rain ceased; a cold
wind arose and dried my upper garments, though my
leggings still flapped disagreeably about my feet. My
course was directed towards Little Rock, without know-
ing exactly what I was to do there. I was desirous of
revisiting New Orleans, yet did not like leaving the
woods ; so I wallvcd on, trusting to my good luck, and
leaving the rest to chance. Fortunately, I reached a
house this evening, and obtained a 'good bandage for
my wound and a dry couch.

On the 27th February I arrived at Slowtrap's, who
gave me a hearty welcome ; but I only stopped one
night, and crossed the river to Kelfer's, who also re-
ceived me kindly. Still I could not remain quiet, and
in a few days I continued my journey to Little Rock.

Little Rock is, without any flattery, one of the dullest
towns in the United States ; and I would not have
remained two hours in the place, if I had not met with
some good friends, who made me forget its dreariness.
Several Germans have settled here, some of whom are
doing very well ; many of them have good and pros-
perous farms in the neighborhood. The land above
the town is as dry and barren as it can well be ; but on
the other side of the Arkansas, and at a short distance
from the town, it is of the finest quality. On the north
of the town, with the exception of the valley of the
Arkansas, there is little except pine woods growing in
a stony soil.

I made some excursions in the neighborhood, formed
an acquaintance with a young American with a Ger-

356 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

man wife, and was their gnest for some time, employing
myself in looking out for turkeys, but with little suc-
cess ; the mosquitoes in the various bayous or lagoons
M'ere so numerous as almost to drive any man mad,
who camped out in the open air. I remained for some
weeks, in spite of them, but if I had stayed any longer,
I fear I should have given up shooting for ever.

My hunting shirt was in rags, and only held together
by my belt ; and as deer skins were now in a good state
for dressing, I made up my mind to return to the
Fourche le Fave, and shoot at the salt licks, till I had
skins enough to make a good hunting shirt ; intending
to dress the skins myself for the purpose.

Not finding any letters, I gave up the idea of going
to New Orleans, and started for the Fourche le Fave
towards the end of April. I gained my old shooting
ground on the second day, and leaving the frequented
paths, struck through the forest to a lick, where I had
killed several deer the year before, and where I hoped
to find the platform I had erected, still in its place. I
reached the spot just before sunset, and hastened to
collect and split wood, and by working hard I managed
to get enough before dark ; — for the twilight is very
short in this latitude. I then set to work on the stand,
to raise one side which had given way : most of the earth
remained on the platform, but on putting my shoulder
to it, and exerting all my force, I succeeded in raising
it to its old position. The effort, however, had been
too much for my strength ; I had tasted nothing since
the previous evening, having taken no food with me ;
nor had I seen any game on the way ; the long march,
the hard work of hauling and splitting wood, the fatigue

DEER-SHOOTING AT THE " SALT LICK." 357

and exhaustion overpowered me, and I fell fainting or
at least senseless to the ground. How long I may have
remained so, I cannot say. When I recovered my
senses, it was quite dark. I got up to collect myself
and consider where I was, when I heard a deer, which
had got scent of me, spring, blowing and snorting, out
of the Hck, and bound away over the diy leaves.

I went, in the first place, to a running stream, close
by, and took a long hearty draught. Feeling considerably
refreshed, I made a fire on the platform, and sat under-
neath, wrapped in my blanket, patiently awaiting the
approach of game. In less than an hour a young buck
advanced with light and cautious tread. I heard him
for ten minutes on the dry rustling leaves, before he
came within sight. ^Vlien he appeared, he was about
forty paces off, so that I could distinguish the outline
of his form, as he stood still staring at the fire, his eyes
shining like Iavo stars out of the dark background.
He cautiously advanced a few steps, coming nearer the
lick, and looking almost Avhite in the light of the fire.
I whistled : he stopped and raised his head ; my ball
passed through both shoulder blades, and he died with-
out a cry.

Transgressing all the rules of the crafl, I neither
reloaded nor remained quiet in my place to await a
second ; but rushed out, dragged him to the fire, broke
him up, and in a very few minutes, portions of him
were put down to roast. I then reloaded, and kept a
sharp look-out. Probably the smell of roasting meat
kept others away; for though I heard snorting and
stamping, I saw no more for the present — but my
stomach could not hold out any longer.

358 AVILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

R-efreshed and strengthened by the food, I stirred
the fire to a bright glow, and, again on good terms with
myself and the whole world, I sat patient and watchful
under the towering flames. Nothing stirred till about
one in the morning, when I again heard a light meas-
ured step, and a doe appeared coming straight toAvards
me. She had not the shghtest suspicion of danger, but
stood staring at the fire w^ith clear shining eyes, hardly
six paces from the stand. She was with young ; still I
must have a hunting shirt, and I had raised the death-
dealing tube, when three more deer arrived on the
scene, one of them a fine buck. They passed round
the lick, and then stopped about ten or eleven paces
behind the doe, who never once moved from her place.
Turning the rifle a little aside, I fired at the buck, who
bounded high in the air and fell dead, the doe flying
oiF like the w ind. She was so close that she must have
been singed by the powder.

Deathlike stillness again prevailed. I was noddmg
a little, but w^aking up suddenly and looking before me,
I saw two glowing eyes shining through the dark-
ness, and soon afterwards descried the whole form of a
deer. He came straight towards me, stood for a
moment, turned a Httle aside, and disappeared after
the crack of the rifle. I gave myself no concern about
him, but reloaded and w^atched for more. Wliip-poor-
wiU had already begun his monotonous song, which
regularly resounds through the woods shortly before
the first gleam of day, when I again heard the meas-
ured tread of a deer on the dry leaves, and he re-
ceived my ball just as the gray dawn was appearing.
As it grew lighter I found him lying dead on his

LOGWOOD TREES IN ARKANSAS. 359

tracks. The third, which I had fired at, had left no
signs ; so assuming that I had missed him, I made no
attempt to seek him, but set to work to skin the
others. When this was done, I hung them up, and
proceeded to a farmer's about two miles off, with whom
I was Avell acquainted, to tell him to take the meat ;
and then went on some miles further to Kelfer's, who
received me hospitably, and in whose house I rested
for a few days.

Hearing of another lick which was said to be very
good, I resorted thither the same evening, and was soon
ensconced under a hastily prepared platform.

The woods in Arkansas present a beautiful aspect
at this season of the year, when the logwood trees are
in bloom. They are small bush-hke trees, seldom more
than seven inches in diameter, Avith a white blossom
of the size of a rose ; but the whole tree is covered with
them. They grow in immense numbers, and give the
forest the appearance of a garden. Then the mild
spring nights, the wailing note of the whip-poor-will,
the monotonous hooting of the owls, would make it
altogether romantic, were the infernal mosquitoes only
away.

I shot two deer during the night, took out their
brains, and laid them about half an inch thick on a flat
stone, placed it near the fire, and kept stirring them,
to preserve them for dressing the skins.

Imagining that I had skins enough, I took them, as
soon as they were dry, to old Slowtrap's, as he was cele-
brated for understanding the curing business thoroughly.
In a few days I was seated in the well-known chimney
corner opposite my old friend, who was the same as

860 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

usual, had on the same shabby old black coat with the
same eventful buttons beliind, and as usual he was
roasting potatoes in the hot ashes. I made no long
preface, and next morning found me hard at work,
scraping off the hair with a knife which I had prepared
for the purpose. Finding that I had not preserved a
sufficiency of brains, I was obliged to go out shooting
again, and Hogarth, who lived near, was willing to ac-
company me for a few days.

Just as we were about to start on the following-

o

morning, five horsemen drew up before the door.
They dismounted, and Hogarth asked them to break-
fast, though we had just finished. After breakfast, as
they saw that we were ready to start, one of them
asked us not to go shooting to-day, but to go with
them, as they were on their way to execute an act of
justice. The case was this : Some time since had
settled on the banks of the little river, a set of men who
were found to be rather too fond of horseflesh, without
inquiring particularly to whom the horses belonged.
They lived scattered over a district of about twenty
miles in circumference, and almost conclusive proofs of
horse-stealing were brought against two of these people,
though the evidence was not strong enough for proceed-
ings against them in a court of justice, where they could
have an advocate, a being for whom all backwoodsmen
entertain a profound respect. Therefore to make short
work of the matter, they had decided on taking the law
into their own hands. A man of the name of Brogan
and my poor Curly were the two victims.

Hogarth was ready at once. I resolved to go as a
spectator, fully resolved to take no part in the pro-

SUMMARY JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS. 361

ceedings. We were soon off, and overtook the poor
fellows, bound, and led between two horses. Curly was
very dejected; Brogan looked savage and desperate.
When we arrived at the rendezvous, we found a much
more numerous assembly than we had expected, there
being about sixty persons present. The jury was
chosen, witnesses were brought forward, sworn, and
questioned, and all the proceedings were carried on
according to the regular forms of a court of justice. It
came out that Brogan had been absent for some time
during the preceding year — that the two horses in
question had been seen in the neighborhood of these
two men, in a certain place where the forest was very
thick — and that Brogan was always hanging about
there. Later, Curly had made use of one of these horses,
and then sold him ; the proofs were convincing enough,
yet they both steadfastly denied all the facts.

Two men now stripped Curly of his upper garments,
tied him up to a tree, and began to belabor his back
with hickory sticks. Curly had sense enough to see
that if his head remained obstinate, his back would
have to pay the score ; so he offered to confess. He
was instantly cast loose, and the register of his sins
was soon unfolded. He stated that he himself had
never stolen any horse, but had acted as receiver, or as
he said, had been good-natured towards the thieves.
When the last horse was to be stolen, four of them
had been present, and it was agreed that he was to be
carried off and sold. But as one of them must first
steal him, it was left to sportsman's luck to decide.
He, who by a certain day, had shot fewest deer, should
undertake the risk of stealing the horse. Curly had
31

362 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

killed four, by the day named, the other two had shot
two each, Brogan only one. He concluded by giving
the names of all the horse-stealers, twenty -six in num-
ber, and well-known names, having the modesty to
leave out his own.

Brogan, Avho had listened to it all with a contemp-
tuous smile, was now questioned ; all attempts to make
him confess were in vain ; he denied having had any
share in the crime, and was tied up to a tree and
dreadfully beaten. It was a horrible sight. At first
he gave vent to volleys of oaths and abuse ; then he was
silent for a long time, and bore the severe blows with
wonderful finnness ; at length he gave a deep groan,
and called out, " Oh, my poor wife and children."

Two negi'oes now made their appearance with spades
and dug a grave ; they were followed by a v»dute man
with a cord in his left hand, and a piece of tallow, with
which he kept greasing the cord in his right, looking
as unconcerned as possible all the time, though he
knew it was intended to hang the poor wretch. This
seemed rather too severe, and several of us now stepped
forward, and persuaded those who seemed most open to
pity, that if they had resolved to hang the man, they
ought not first to have lacerated him so dreadfully:
this seemed evident to the others, so it was put to the
vote, and his life was spared on condition that he left
the country within four weeks, and never returned to
it again. He made no promise, and as he was cast off,
he fell senseless on the grass.

I had seen quite enough. Hogarth and I trotted
off to the mountains to think seriously about our

CALLS FOR ATTRACTING DEER. 363

shooting ; my comrade was very pensive ; I heard
afterwards that there were good reasons for it, as no
slight suspicions rested on him.

As the weather was warm and pleasant, we resolved
to look for bees as M^ell as deer; for we had each a
great longing for honey. We placed the bait in the
empty shell of a tortoise, and separated in chase of deer.
Hogarth had a call with him and attempted to attract
the does by imitating the cry of their fawns ; a most
disgraceful practice, which is too often indulged in.
This practice is most abominable, on two accounts:
first, because it is base and cruel to lure the mother to
her destruction by imitating the cry of her young;
secondly, because it so rapidly exterminates all the
game, by killing off the does, and leaving the fawns to
perish with hunger, when they are too young to find
their own -nourishment. Although I scorned to adopt
such a vile practice, I shot a two-year-old buck, while
Hogarth shot nothing.

At nightfall, the winds seemed to break loose from
all the thirty-two points of the compass at once, to
blow down all the old fir-trees in the forest ; towards
midnight the storm subsided, and changed into such
heavy rain that I was obHged to cut a channel with
my knife round our blanket terit to carry off the
water.

On the next morning Slowtrap joined us with his
own and Hogarth's dogs, as he wanted to find a bear
which was paying rather too much attention to his pigs.
The dogs soon found the trail, and after a pretty fight,
Slowtrap knocked him over with his rifle ball, just as

364 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

I was near getting the worst of it by being too for-
ward with my knife. We found bees the same
evening.

The sun had just set, when gaining the crest of a hill,
I caught sight of a young deer quietly feeding. I
raised the rifle, and was in the act of pressing the
trigger, when I saw the antlers of a very large buck,
who was walking slowly past the other, unsuspicious of
harm. I had often heard old hunters talk of the buck
fever, but could never form a just idea of the meaning
of it; at this moment, however, I felt its full effects.
My anxiety to shoot the buck was so great, that I
trembled in every limb, and could not steady the rifle.
At length the deer discovered me, and raised his noble
head. I knew that the decisive moment was come,
and, although the sight of the rifle quivered over his
whole form, I pulled the trigger. He gave a bound and
disappeared : I found som.e blood where he had been
standing, but the color was not very satisfactory, and
I followed the trail in vain ; he had escaped with a
slight wound.

I returned to the camp out of humor ; — and with
reason, — I had lost three pair of good moccasins by
my bad shot, and was almost barefoot. Hogarth and
Slowtrap had killed a few deer, and saved the brains
for me, and I thought I had now enough for my skins.
Next day we went after bees, and found two trees,
one of which we cut dowTi — on which occasion I got
dreadfully stung.

I now thought it time to return to my work, and
was tired of going about in shirt sleeves. I took the

INDIAN METHOD OF DRESSING SKINS. 365

brains which Hogarth and Slowtrap had given me,
with what I had myself collected, returned to Slow-
trap's, and set to work in earnest with my skins. For
the benefit of those who may be interested in the sub-
ject, I Avill describe the Indian method of dressing
skins. They are laid in water to soak for a whole
night ; next morning they are taken out, placed on a
smooth board, and the hair scraped off. This done,
the brains are mixed with an equal quantity of water
in an iron 250t, and rubbed well into the skins, one
brain being generally enough for one skin ; the brains
having previously been put in a coarse linen bag,
boiled for an hour, and then left to cool. As soon as cool
enough for the hand to bear it, they are rubbed through
the bag, giving the water a milky color, and leaving
only the fibrous parts in the bag. The skins are put
into the. pot, and well kneaded, so that they may be
thoroughly saturated Avith the mixture ; then taken
out, well wrung, and hung up to dry. Before this, they
must be well rubbed and j^ulled across a sharp board
till they are dry, as white as snow, and as soft as
velvet. Yet if they get wet they become as hard as a
stone ; to prevent this, all the glutinous substance must
be destroyed by smoke. Therefore two of them are
sown together in a bag, a hole is made in the ground,
about sixteen inches deep and about eight inches wide,
in Avhich a fire is lighted. As soon as it is in a bright
glow, rotten wood is laid on to make a thick smoke,
and the skins are placed over it, mouth downwards,
till they are so thoroughly penetrated by it, that they
begin to turn brown on the outside. They are then
31*

366 AVILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

turned inside out, and the process repeated; when
finished, neither water nor sun will hurt them more,
and their color is a yellowish-brown.

As soon as my skins were all properly dressed, I
went to an old backwoodsman of the name of Wallis,
whose wife cut out a hunting-shirt for me, in which
she used the best part of five skins, and showed me
how to sew them. After three days of industrious
tailoring, I succeeded in producing the perfection
of a hunting-shirt. I now cut out a pair of new
moccasins from the skin of an old deer, that I had
dressed with the others; took some of the bark of
the black walnut tree, with a little green vitriol,
and gave my new dress the proper forest tint, — and
I was once more fitted out in the regular garb of a
backwoodsman.

Wallis had been a great deal amongst the Indians,
and had adopted many of their manners and customs.
He was the best white hunter I ever met with, and
never failed in discovering bees, if once he came on
their traces. He had been for a long time in Texas, and
extraordinary stories were related of him during his
absence ; at last, news came that he was dead. His
wife, in course of time, became acquainted with another
man, who succeeded in gaining her good graces, and
so she married him. One evening, about a year after
her second marriage, a horseman, dressed as an Indian,
stopped before the door, dismounted, and tied up
his horse. He entered the house, and the woman
recognized, with delight and astonishment, the husband
she had mourned as dead. At the same moment,
the other returned from shooting, with the dogs, which

A MATRIMONIAL DIFFICULTY. 367

joyfully bounded about their old master, and lie was
not a little perplexed at meeting the lawful owner of
the property ; but Wallis was a reasonable man, and
told his wife very gravely, that she was at liberty to
take her choice between the two, provided he mio-ht
have the children, two fine boys, and that he would
give her till the morrow to decide : so saying, he
shouldered his rifle, mounted his horse, and trotted
off to the forest, where he made his fire, and camped
for the night.

Next day, after finishing his breakfast, he saddled
his horse, and rode back to the house, to learn how his
wife had decided ; he found his representative on the
point of departure, who openly acknowledged that
Wallis had the prior riglits, that he should be very
sorry to be a cause of discord, excused himself for the
accident, begging him not to take it amiss, and ended
by offering his hand, which the other accepted. He
then rode off to the West, to seek another wife with
better luck next time. The long separated pair lived
together afterwards as happily and contentedly as if
nothing had happened ; it was not necessary for him
to excuse himself for not writing, as he had never
learned the art, and, even if he had sent her a letter,
she would have been in the same difficulty as to
reading it.

I had long conversations with him about shooting,
and he lamented very much the decrease of game,
which, as he said, had become very sensible for some
years at the Fourche le Fave, formerly the best hunting
ground in Arkansas. Among other things we talked
of the dreams of dogs. When I told him what I had

368 "WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

heard, and "wliat I had experienced myself, he con-
firmed it, assuring me that he had tried it with the
dog which was then lying at his feet. He said : " I
was stretched before the fire one evening, and could
not sleep. The dog was lying by me fatigued with
his day's work, for we had been out the whole day ;
he had been for some time snoring lightly, and now
began to scramble with his feet, and to whine and
bark in a low tone ; a sure sisrn that he was dreaminsf.
I had heard from my father, when I was a child, that
any one might have the same dream as a dog, if they
can catch it in a handkerchief; so I spread my neck-
cloth over the dog's head, and waited in patience till
he woke. At length when he left off barking, and
raised his head to shake off the unaccustomed covering,
I took the cloth, folded it up, and laying it under my
head, I was soon asleep ; I dreamed that I was run-
ning after a rabbit, with most inexplicable rage, fol-
lowing it through the thickest thorn bushes, and as at
last it escaped into a hole, I thrust my head into it,
and barked, and tried to scrape away the earth to get
it out. I have tried it several times since, and always
with the same effect." Without being superstitious,
I determined to take the next opportunity of repeating
the experiment.

My hunting-shirt being finished, I took a kind leave
of the old hunter and his family, and returned to Slow-
trap's, with whom I remained only a few days, not-
Avithstanding his pressing invitation to pass the summer
there, and then proceeded to Kelfer's. From hence I
revisited the salt licks, repaired the scaffold, collected
kindlers, and passed twelve nights successively under

BUCK SHOOTING LETTERS AT LITTLE ROCK. 3G9

the fire, until the mosquitoes, and other insects ahnost
carried me off piecemeal ; yet without getting a single
shot. I never could imagine what had driven the game
all away ; perhaps it was too late in the season ; I only
know that I lay on the look-out many long, long nights,
listening for the tread of a deer, Avatched the moon
rise, follow her appointed course, and set behind tlie
trees ; hearkened patiently to the hootings of the owls,
and the complaint of whip-poor-will, and left the place
each succeeding morning, Avithout seeing a single head
of game, to seek some cool spot to sleep in, and await
the coming night. At last, my provisions being ex-
hausted, I was forced to return to Kelfer's for a fresh
supply. While there I decided on giving up the fire,
and trying daylight again, when I succeeded in killing
a few fine deer. One of them was the largest I ever
shot. I was going along a mountain-side, and had just
fired at and missed a young buck that was standing
behind a fallen tree, with nothing but his head visible,
when, just as I had reloaded, this splendid fellow
showed himself above me, at about fifteen paces dis-
tance. My ball knocked him over, and I never saw
fatter venison.

After some time, news arrived from Little Rock, to
say that letters were awaiting me there. I was soon
ready to start, intending if their contents were favor-
able, to embark for the south. My few things were
easily packed up, and I now took a warm farewell of
Kelfer and his amiable family, from whom it grieved
me to part. I had lived in his house like one of his
relations, and had never been treated as a stranger;
and if I ever had found a home in America, it would

370 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

have been with him ; there was only one point on
which we disagreed; I was passionately fond of field
sj)orts, and he often severely blamed my useless loiter-
ing about in the woods, seriously representing to me
that I could not go on so for ever, and that I should be
forced, sooner or later, to settle somewhere, and become
a useful and reasonable member of society. I saw
clearly enough, on such occasions, that he was right, and
was often incUned to accept the brotherly offers which
he made, and to hang up the rifle, and take to the axe ;
but I had become too fond of the wild unsteady hfe ;
besides, a burning desire to revisit my native land pre-
vented me, and my love of change Avas now stronger
than any other feeling ; I took up my rifle, threw my
luggage over my shoulder, shook hands all round, and
followed the course of the Fourche le Fave on my way
to Little Rock.

On arriving at the mouth of the river, I was unde-
cided whether I should continue my course by land or
water. Unluckily, however, I found good shooting-
ground there ; so, throwing my bundle under a tree, I
formed a hut of loose bark, and began shooting again
to my heart's content.

The end of June came. My provisions had latterly
much diminished, as I had shot nothing for several
days, and as the meat was soon spoilt by the heat
unless it was well dried, I began to get tired of
sport, and resolved to shoot only one more deer for
provision, then go to Little Rock, take up my letters,
and come to some decision as to my future course.

The intention of shooting one more deer seemed this
time to be easier conceived than executed, and I lived

CANOE VOYAGE DOWN THE ARKANSAS. o71

for two days on whortleberries, a fruit which by no
means suited my stomach. It happened one morning
when I came again on the banks of the Fourche le Fave,
I saw a canoe jammed amongst some drift-wood, which
had stuck fast in the river. This suited my purpose
exactly ; so, without further consideration, I SAvam off
and secured it, took it up to my camp, threw in all my
havings and gatherings, and gained the river Arkansas
the same afternoon.

Gliding smoothly along near the bank, I observed
numerous signs of deer in several places. I landed at
one of them, where the ground was all trodden down
by their feet, and where there was only one narrow
rocky path, by which they could descend to drink the
brackish water, that of the Arkansas containing a con-
siderable portion of salt. My plan was soon formed.
I was not only excessively hungry myself, but I had
some friends in Little Rock, to whom a nice piece of
venison would be a treat ; so, taking my tomahawk, I
soon erected a small scaffolding over the canoe, which
Avas all the more easily accomplished as it had been
made to serve this purpose before, holes having been
bored below the gunwales to receive the poles. Cover-
ing it with twigs and some inches of earth, I collected
kindlers from the neighboring hills, and patiently
awaited the approaching night. As soon as it was dark
I lighted my fire, then leant back, giving the reins to my
fancy and gazing on the beautiful starry sky. After a
time, raising myself silently and looking towards the
place where I expected the deer, I saw a glowing eye
just above the Avater, and another reflected from its sur-
face ; it Avas a deer, which had descended without the

372 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

least noise, and was eagerly drinking the bracldsh water,
about twenty j^aces from the canoe. I raised the rifle
slowly, took a careful aim and fired ; loud sounded the
report over the water's surface, returning in repeated
echoes from the hills, and then all was as quiet and
silent as the grave. Taking a brand from the fire, I
found a yearling buck lying dead at a short distance
from the spot where he had been drinking. After
breaking him up, I cut off no small portion to roast,
my hunger being truly painful ; when this was satisfied
I threw him into the canoe, cast off from the bank,
rolled myself in my blanket, and, floating softly down
the stream in the stillness of night, I arrived at Little
Eock in good condition on the following morning.

I found a letter from Germany, and another from
Kean in Louisiana, from whom I had not heard for a
long time ; he requested me to come to him, telling me
I might easily find employment with a good salary.
The steamer " Arkansas " arrived the next day from
Fort Smith, and notice was given that on the moraing
of the 5th July she would start for New Orleans. My
arrangements were soon made, and not having much
packing to plague me, I passed the intervening days
very happily in the society of my friends.

The 4tli of July was to be celebrated as usual in
Little Rock by a grand barbecue, or banquet, at the
public expense. I M'ent to the appointed place out of
curiosity, and found a dozen black cooks, busily pre-
paring for the grand affair. Two trenches, about two
yards long and four wide, were dug in a garden near
the town, the bottom of each was filled with red-hot
charcoal, the supply being kept up from a large fire

CELEBRATION OF THE FOURTH OF JULY. 373

near at hand. Pieces of wood were laid across the
trenches, and on the wood immense quantities of meat ;
two halves of an ox, a number of pigs, calves, deer,
bears, sheep, &c., were roasting and stewing, while
people with bottles or jugs full of whiskey went about
offering it to all present. The meat itself was not
particularly inviting, everybody going up and cutting
off what he Avanted, and holding it in his hand to eat,
some standing, some walking to and fro. At a camp-fire
this is all very well, but such a multitude with greasy
hands and mouths is not attractive.

I did not remain long, but returned to the town,
sleeping at the house of a German settler ; and on the
following morning proceeded on board the boat, which
contrary to tlie usual custom, was punctual to her time
and went off blusterinof down the river.

32

CHAPTER XII.

LOUISIANA NEW ORLEANS, AND HOME.

Bayou Sara — German settlers — Jews — Pointe Couple — My en-
gagement at the hotel — Levees, or dams, on the banks of the Mis-
sissippi — Slave auction — Treatment of the slaves — Guinea ne-
groes — Alligator shooting — Flesh of the alligator, and prejudices
against it — Habits of the alligator — Scenes on the Mississippi —
New Orleans ; variety of its inhabitants — Coffee-houses — The
" Olbers" clears for Bremen — The mouth of the Mississippi —
Jly fellow-passengers — Sharks — Sickness and death on board —
The English channel — Bremerhafen — Quarantine — The Lii-
becker and his unruly American wife — Fumigation — Arrival
at home.

We entered the Mississippi the second day, and soon
left the State of Arkansas far behind us. Of all I had
seen in America it was the one which pleased me most ;
I may perhaps never see it again, but I shall never
forget the happy days I passed there, where many a
true heart beats under a coarse frock or leather hunting-
shirt.

The boat went flying past the green banks, and on
the third night, she set me ashore at Bayou Sara, in
Louisiana. It may have been about one o'clock when
I landed with my baggage. The little boat which
brought me from the steamer pushed off, flying back to
the smoking Colossus. The pilot gave the signal to go
ahead, and, smoking and clattering, she soon vanished
from my sight.

All was dark in the town, not a single light to be

(374)

MOSQUITOES MEETING WITH KEAN. 375

seen. Being quite a stranger in the place, I rolled
myself in my blanket and lay down on the bank of the
river. The night was warm and pleasant, but repose
was out of the question. Millions of mosquitoes were
swarming furiously around, and only left me in peace
when I pulled the blanket over my head ; but as that
excluded air, and I removed it to breathe, it was a
signal for all the swarm to fall upon me with renewed
fury.

At length the first negro bell was heard from the
opposite shore, for the negroes to turn out ; soon after-
wards a gleam was visible in the east. My tormentors
now attacked me like mad, and it appeared as if all the
mosquitoes in Louisiana had assembled with the inten-
tion of sucking me dry, so as to preserve me as a
specimen: I jumped up, and ran about to baffle the
attempt.

Day came at last, and with it some houses w^ere
opened ; amongst others a German coffee-house. Leav-
ing my baggage there I strolled about the place. After
lounging about for an hour, I thought it was late
enough to find out Kean, who was clerk in a merchant's
house ; I soon found him. Bayou Sara not being very
large, and met with a kind reception.

In the first place I had to change my costume;
hunting-shirts and leggings are excellent things in the
forest, but not so well adapted to a town, nor to the
hot sun of Louisiana. Summer articles were not dear,
a number of German Jews having settled in the place,
underselling each other ; for a few dollars I obtained a
very respectable suit.

Most of the houses of Bayou Sara are built of wood,

376 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

only three or four being of brick. It may contain
about 800 inhabitants, among whom are several Ger-
mans, who are carpenters, tailors, shoemakers, sugar-
bakers, coffee-house keepers, and a large number of
German Jews, who by their low prices have managed
to get the trade in ready-made clothes completely into
their own hands. German shoemakers mustered very
strong ; and here I was again stnick with a peculiarity
which I have remarked among all the German shoe-
makers in America, namely the rage they have for sell-
ing gingerbread and sugar-plums, as well as boots and
shoes.

In the United States as a matter of course, every
person is free to buy and sell whatever he chooses.
Therefore all sorts of wares are to be found at all the
stores. In the smaller towns, apothecaries generally
combine a trade in calicoes and haixlware Avith that of
drugs ; and when a German shoemaker opens his shop,
you are sure to see some glasses with parti-colored
sugar-plums, and pieces of gingerbread in the little
window, Mdiile boots and shoes are dangling on pack-
thread above them. This was not only the case m
Bayou Sara, and St. Francisville, a town of the same
size on a hill about a quarter of a mile behind Bayou
Sara, but in all the smaller towns in the United States
which I had visited, and even in some parts of the
large town of Cincinnati. It is at all events a strange
medley.

I passed my time very agreeably in the society of
Kean, whose employers were good kind people, until I
obtained a remunerative occupation in Pointe Coupee,
a large French settlement extending twenty miles along

THE HOTEL AT POINTE COUPEE. 377

the opposite or western bank of the Mississippi ; this
office consisted in the management of the hotel formerly-
kept by Rutkin, and which he had sold before his de-
parture ; the purchaser, however, was weak and in bad
health, and had been mostly confined to Ids bed, leaving
the hotel to the management of another, who was
driving every thing to wreck and ruin. The purchaser's
brother seeing that it would never do to leave it in
such hands, placed me in the situation on Kean's recom-
mendation. Although my j^resent sphere of action was
very different from any thing to which I had hitherto
been accustomed, I soon gained an insight into the
business, and went on very well, as I was perfectly in-
dependent, acting on all occasions as I thought best :
and I can fairly say that I soon brought things int(J
better order.

Generally speaking, living in Pointe Coupee was
much more agreeable than in Bayou Sara, as my prin-
cipal dealings were with the opulent planters of the
vicinity, amongst whom were some very pleasant
people ; there was also an Irish advocate living in the
hotel, who had a very extensive practice, and we con-
ceived a mutual friendship for each other: I shall
always look back with hearty pleasure to my acquaint-
ance with Mr. Beattie.

The little town of the settlement, lying rather higher
up the stream on the opposite side to Bayou Sara, con-
sists of the town-hall, the jail, the Roman Cathohc
church, the priest's house, and the hotel.

As the land beyond the banks of the Mississippi,
particularly in Louisiana, is lower than the river, when
the latter is very full the settlers have been obliged to
32*

378 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR lYEST.

throw up a dam — levee, as it is called — which is gener-
ally from four to five feet high, but in some places from
eighteen to twenty. It costs immense sums to keep
this in repair, as the river constantly undermines it,
and carries off large masses in its wild muddy waters ;
moreover, it is incumbent on those dwelling immediately
on the banks to supply the means, while those living
further from the river, whose property is more liable to
damage, do not contribute any thing towards the dam ;
but last year there was a discussion on the subject, and
it is probable that the system will be changed.

The principal productions of Pointe Coupee are
cotton, Indian Corn, and sugar-cane. The gardens are
filled with oranges^, figs, peaches, and pomegranates,
with quantities of all the most beautiful flowers. One
great plague of the planters, in some parts of the settle-
ment, for it does not extend everywhere, is the coco-
grass, somewhat similar to our couch-grass. The roots
extend from twelve to fifteen feet in the ground, as
may be seen when the river tears away a part of the
bank. Where it has once taken hold, it is very difficult
to extirpate ; it grows so fast that, when cut down at
night, it is again about an inch high in the morning.
It is not very good for cattle, though pigs are extremely
fond of the pods, which have a strong smell and taste of
camphor.

Most of the planters are French Creoles ; but as
several Americans live here also, the law proceedings
are carried on both in French and Enghsh. The
jailer is a poor wretched German shoemaker, and any
prisoner that has a mind gives him a cudgelling, and

SLAVES AND THEIR CONDITION. 379

takes his leave. Several cases of the kind occurred
last year.

The system of slavery makes a very disagreeable
impression upon those who are unaccustomed to it ;
and although I had long dwelt in slave States, and
witnessed the oppressed condition and ill-treatment of
the poor blacks, yet the horrors of the system were
never so evident as when I first attended an auction,
where slaves were sold like cattle to the highest bidder,
and the poor creatures stood trembling, following the
bidders with anxious eyes, in order to judge in advance
whether they were to belong to a kind or severe
master. It does not Irnppen so often now as formerly
that families are separated, at least mothers and
children, so long as the latter are very young. In
large auctions, the law has the humanity to decree
that famiUes are only to be sold together ; but indi-
viduals are often sold, and then the most sacred ties
are torn asunder for the sake of a few hundred dollars.

I have witnessed most heart-breaking scenes on such
occasions. At the same time, I must admit that the
treatment of slaves is generally better than it is repre-
sented by the Abolitionists and missionaries. It is to
the advantage of the owner to keep his slaves healthy
and fit for work, and not to overtax their strength, as
he is bound to support them in their old age. Their
food generally is not worse than that of the poor man in
other lands. Though there are instances of rich planters
treating their slaves most shamefully, there are others
wliere they are treated as part of the family. In our
hotel, we had a cook, chambermaid, and porter, all
glaves, who never had occasion to complain of ill-treat-

380 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR -SYEST.

ment. A negro, or descendant of a negro, is not
allowed to quit the j^lace of his abode "without a pass
from his master, while the free negro must always
have his papers about him. If a slave is found without
a pass, he is imprisoned until his master claims him,
and pays the expenses. Fugitive slaves frequently take
refuge in the forests ; and I remember how, in Ten-
nessee, large parties used to go out to surround them, and
recover possession of them. Although the law speaks
in strong language against the importation of fresh
negroes, yet I saw several slav.es who had been brought
over from Africa, and who were called Guinea negroes,
to distinguish them from those born in America. The
education of the poor blacks is strictly forbidden, for
fear they should write their own passes, and thus
escape. They are kept for use and increase like do-
mestic animals ; and yet these United States have this
sentence in their declaration of independence : " that
all men are free and equal ! "

In the towns the Methodist preachers have driven
what Httle understanding nature has given them, out
of the poor blacks' heads, teaching them to jump and
shout, to thank God for being afflicted, and to kiss the
rod that chastises them. They kiss it, indeed, but
leave the marks of their teeth behind ; and when they
dare not openly oppose the tp-anny of the whites, they
do so in secret, and many of the hated race fall by the
hand of the oppressed. Examples of this kind are fre-
quent ; and although the jDunishment which the negro
has to expect for raising his hand against a white is
appalling, it does not prevent the deed, but only makes
the doer more cautious.

SNIPE-SHOOTING VEGETATION OF LOUISIANA. 381

My present occupation did not allow much time for
amusement, though now and then I got some duck-
shooting in winter, when the ducks come in myriads
from the north to this milder chmate, where ice is very
seldom seen on the lakes and standing pools, and snow
was not seen during the whole winter. Snipe-shooting
commenced early in spring, and I followed it up with
great eagerness. It is a very different affair here from
what it is in Europe ; you go out in the evening, and
shoot them by torchlight, when, of course, you must have
a very small charge, as they approach within ten yards,
often within five or six. The negro, who is not allowed
to carry a gun without permission from his master,
goes out with a torch, and a small bushy bough of a
tree, to knock them down. There are two sorts, both
smaller than ours, and they occur in such numbers, that
in two hours I have often killed from eighteen to twenty.
During the day they remain among the thick reeds
and in the marshes, and in the evening flock to the
meadows and cotton fields. They are delicate eating,
and more tender than the European variety. As the
weather gets hotter, they fly off to the north.

The spring in Louisiana is enchantingly beautiful.
All the grasses and flowers springing out of the ground,
all the buds and blossoms on the trees, fill the beholder
with rapture: the gray silvery-haired moss dangling
from the trees, giving them such a mournful appear-
ance in winter, now added to the beauty of the scene ;
assuming a more lively color itself, it looked a trans-
parent silvery veil thrown over the blossoms and fresh
green of the leaves. The long slender cypresses shone
to the greatest advantage under such a veil. All sorts

382 WILD sroRTS in the far west.

of birds are now to be seen ; among them numbers
of the mocking-bird, sometimes called the American
nightingale, warble S"\veetly, especially at night.

As usual in all the plantations in Louisiana, several
China-trees stood before my house, for shade as well
as for ornament. One of them was an old patriarch,
whose branches spread far and wide, and which had
been used as a summer-house by the foraier proprietor,
who had had a flight of stairs built up to it, and fixed
a round table, with several seats. In this tree my
hammock was slung between two branches, with a
mosquito net spread over it ; — for these amiable little
creatures were again beginning their wicked tricks ;
and I slept in the warm night wind, among the
blossoms of the tree, which have something of the
perfume of the hehotrope, surrounded by fire-flies,
lulled by the notes of the mocking-bird, and by the
rushing sound of the mighty Mississippi, flowing about
twenty paces from the tree.

The heat in May, especially in the middle of the
day, was oppressive ; but when the other whites had
retired to take their siesta, I went with my rifle and
harpoon to the swamps, at a short distance from the
river, to shoot alligators, which are to be found in
incredible numbers, in the warm standing pools. "WTiat
dreadful statements have been written about the for-
midable nature of these animals, and their fierce
attacks on man ! I have always found them gentle,
harmless creatures, and was very active in sI«:ooting
them. However, as I lost those I had shot, by their
swimming a little way and then sinking, I took a
harpoon with a twenty-feet line, and, going up to the

SHOOTING ALLIGATORS BY TORCHLIGHT. 383

waist in water, I placed myself under one of the many-
cypresses standing in the swamps, and awaited their
approach, as they swam about slowly in the glowing
mid-day heat, or sunned themselves on the bank. If
one came within twelve or fifteen yards, I was sure of
him. The best sport was when he was a great power-
ful fellow, and I pulled one way as he pulled the other.
But as standing in the terrible heat of the sun did
not suit me, I resolved to try torchlight, particularly as
many of the Creoles told me that no one had ever
attempted to shoot them by the light of a fire, it
being supposed that the alligator was bolder and more
dangerous at night. So, on the next evening, I went to
the place with rifle, fire-pan, harpoon, and kindlers.
The sight from the banks of the swamp was enchant-
ing, and made me endure even mosquito bites with
patience. The dark surface of the water, the immense
cypresses standing in it, their moss waving in the night
wind, the dark surrounding forest, the hooting of the
owls, the melancholy croak of the bull-frog, I had long
been accustomed to; but all in the water was wild
commotion, and, when holding the flame behind me,
the shadow of my head was cast upon the flood,
hundreds of glowing eyes shone from all parts of it
like balls of red-hot iron. As I had only one hand
free, I could not hold the rifle and harpoon at the
same time; so I fired at the head of the nearest,
dropped the rifle, seized the harpoon, darted it into
the animal at the distance of six or seven yards, and
drew it by the line to the bank. I had secured two
in this way, when I saw a pair of larger eyes coming
straight towards me; I fired as before, and darted

384 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

the harpoon into the wounded animal, as he turned
and showed the white of his belly. At the instant of
darting the harpoon, I was standing close to the edge
of the water, with the end of the line fastened to my
right wrist. The alligator had hardly felt the barbed
iron, when he darted off and dived, jerking me into
the water before I had time to hold back. The pan
fell out of my hand, and the fire was extinguished with
a loud hiss. The line was too securely fastened for me
to free myself, and I was twice dragged under water
before I felt firm bottom, when, holding back with all
my might, I succeeded in stopping him, he being some-
what exhausted by his exertions and loss of blood ;
then pulling slowly and cautiously towards the bank,
gradually increasing the strain, lie collected his remain-
ing strength, and darted off, dragging me head Under
again ; but the water Avas not more than four feet
deep, and this time I had less trouble in hauhng the
weakened animal to the shore.

Wet through and through, and in total darkness, I
had fortunately left my matches, with the split wood,
at the foot of a tree. I groped for and found my pan,
and in a few minutes another bright flame rose flicker-
ing to the sky. The large alligator was about ten feet
long, and I could make no use of him ; for although the
planters use the fat for their cotton machinery, for
which it is well adapted, it was too old to be eatable ;
the two first caught were three and four feet long ; I
cut off their tails, and carried them home to eat.

Very few of the Creoles, or even the negroes, will eat
the flesh of the alligator, partly because they feel dis-
gust at it, and partly because they fancy it to be

alligators' antipathy to dogs. 385

poisonous ; but I found it excellent, and never experi-
enced any bad consequences. It is white and firm, and
looks and tastes like fish, but the tail must be cut off
immediately, and the back-bone taken out, or it acquires
the musty smell peculiar to these animals.

After this, I always took a companion with me, and
when one had fired, the other harpooned, which made
the work easier. However fearful the alligators may
be of white men, it is extraordinary how furiously they
will attack negroes and dogs, particularly the latter. I
was standing one afternoon, harpoon in hand, up to the
Avaist in water, and although plenty of alligators were
swimming about, none of them would come close
enough, when, acting on the impulse of the moment, I
attempted to attract them by imitating the bark of a
(log ; — fifteen or sixteen big fellows came straight
towards me, as soon as they heard it ! This was too
much of a good thing : standing so deep in water, I was
hardly master of my movements, and began to step out
as fast as possible for the shore, about a hundred feet
distant; I then recommenced my bark, but as I was
fully exposed to view, they were afraid of coming close,
though they kept swimming round at a respectable dis-
tance.

The predominant religion in Louisiana is the Roman
Catholic, with this difference in the arrangements, that
the priest is chosen by the congregation, and the bishop
has nothing to say in the matter. Some, time since,
the people had dismissed their priest, being dissatisfied
with him ; but, as he had been invested by the bishop,
he maintained that the bishop alone could remove him,
and taking JVIr. Beattie for his advocate, he indicted
33

386 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST.

his flock. Mr. Beattie gained liis cause at the half-
yearly sessions, but the parish appealed to the court of
the United States at New Orleans. The priest re-
paired thither, took a new advocate, and obtained the
following sentence : " That the citizens of Pointe
Coupee might dismiss their priest, if they were dis-
satisfied with him, and that neither bishop nor pope
could issue commands in the United States."

It was about the end of June, when I made up my
mind to return to Germany. Kean had been for some
time in New Orleans, engaged in commission business,
and I began to feel lonely in l*ointe Coupee. I there-
fore arranged my affairs, and prevailed on a brother of
the proprietor, who had formerly been in partnership
with him, to undertake the management, now that all
was in good order ; then, taking a kind leave of all my
good friends, I left Pointe Coupee on the 5 th of July —
the same day that I had left Little Pock the year before.

I embarked on board the Steamer " Eclipse " for New
Orleans, and dasheid down the swollen stream with the
speed of an arrow. The banks of the Mississippi, in
the lower part of Louisiana, offer a most beautiful
panorama of towns and plantations, to the eyes of the
passenger flying past in a steamer ; the country-seats
of the planters make a sj^lendid appearance through the
orange and pomegranate trees, with the rows of white
cottages for the slaves, like so many villages, besides
large cotton fields and sugar plantations, with gangs
of negroes at work, under the inspection of a white
on horseback ; troops of mustangs, or ponies, gallop-
ing with flowing manes and tails, small schooners,
and so-called chicken thieves dashing with swelling

NEW ORLEANS. 387

tails alon"^ the sliorcs, give the whole an animated
aspect. At present, however, it did not' look every-
where so agreeable ; the river had risen considerably,
and in many places broken through the levee, laying
a number of cotton fields and sugar plantations under
water, and giving the landscape a wild and desolate
look.

On the following morning, about nine o'clock, we
approached the emporium of the south, and a multitude
of boats, barges, schooners, brigs, and even ships lying
above the town, gave evidence of the busy turmoil of
an immense commercial place. We had about forty
head of oxen on board, which had been brought from
St. Louis, to be landed at Lafayette, a suburb of New
Orleans. The steamer was stopped near the shore, and
the oxen and cows bundled overboard to swim to land.
This done, the engine was set going, and passing
shipping of all sorts and nations, we landed about ten
o'clock, among about sixty other steamers, on the levee
of New Orleans.

I found Kean immediately, and accompanied him to
the hotel where he lodged, left my things there, and
lounged about the town with him, talking of bygone
times. The heat was oppressive, and we were soon
obliged to take shelter in the house to escape the scorch-
ing rays of the sun. In the evening we drove to
Lafayette, where several Bremen vessels were lying, to
have a look at them, and inquire their times of depar-
ture. We found two bound for Bremen, but the time
of departure uncertain, and I saw that I should have
to remain some time in New Orleans.

The town had increased very much since my foniier

88S WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

visit, and was improved in its appearance. It extends
above seven miles along the bank of the river, where it
is interesting to observe all sorts of shipping, steamers
and sailing vessels arriving or departing every hour
of the day. In other respects the town offers nothing
noticeable beyond straight handsome streets, with large
clean looking houses, and tastefully ornamented shops.
It is still more interesting to observe the people, who
throng the streets in all, even the hottest, hours of the
day, where every shade between white and black is to
be seen. The spot most attractive to me was the lower
market, close to the levee, where every kind of article
to be found in America was for sale. The fruit stalls
looked especially inviting, and so did the fish-stalls, where
great varieties of fish were to be seen. In the midst of
all the bustle and crowding, there are quiet retreats,
where a brilliant and colossal coffee machine stands
always on a table, surrounded by chairs, cups, and plates
filled with every kind of bread and cake are at hand ; a
pretty looking girl performs the part of Hebe. At all
hours of the day and night, hot coffee, and in many of
these places tea and chocolate, are always ready ; and
almost every night, when I could not prevail on myself
to retire to the hot, close room without a breath of air, I
have walked about the ever thronged streets, and drank
coffee, until fatigue drove me to bed. At daybreak I
was in the market again, among the crowds of Amer-
icans, French, Creoles, English, Germans, Spaniards,
Italians, Negroes, Mulattoes, Mestizoes, Indians, &c. &;c.,
and returned to breakfast, at which I drank, Creole
fashion, red wine iced, instead of coffee, and then went
to bed for a few hours. Kean joined me whenever his

THE "OLBERS" FOR BREMEN. 389

business would permit ; and many an hour passed in
agreeable conversation.

At length, after a space of three weeks, the " Olbers "
was cleared, and ready to start. My effects were em-
barked, leave taken of all my friends, a most hearty
one of Kean, whom I loved as a brother, and who
had always behaved like one, and at ten at night the
steamer " PorjDoise " made herself fast alongside, having
besides a French brig, three schooners in tow, and
we started like a small fleet down the dark stream.
We reached the mouth of the Mississippi about noon
the next day, and anchored. In all directions thin
green reeds were growing out of the water, giving only
a representation of land, the yellow river flowing
through them, and not a foot of solid ground anywhere
visible. The Mississippi is here a river but without
any banks, though looking as if still enclosed in its
bed. To my great astonishment, houses were seen
above this waste of reeds and water, with livins; beino-s
moving about them. As the pilot said that we must
wait till tomorrow for broad daylight and the flood
tide, to cross the bar, and we had nothing to do this
afternoon, the captain took two other passengers and
myself to the row of houses, to see if we could get
oysters, or any thing else eatable. After half an hour's
sharp rowing, we reached a platform resting on piles.
A more uninviting place to live in, I never saw. The
water flows under the houses of this outpost of American
felicity, leaving at low-water a loose slimy mud, which
would engulf any one attempting to tread on it, and which
swarms with creeping things innumerable. I recollect
an American saying that Louisiana was not fit for the
33*

890 WILD SPOUTS IN THE FAR WEST.

abode of man, but only for mosquitoes, bullfrogs, and
alligators, and certainly here there seemed to be reason
in liis Avords, for how a human being could be induced
to settle in such a place is still a mystery to me. The
inhabitants catch oysters at no great distance from
their houses, sell some of them to the ships, and carry
the rest in their boats to Xew Orleans, to exchange
them for provisions and necessaries for their families,
yes, families, — for women and children were there too.
When we arrived, there was not an oyster left in the
place, nor any thing else eatable to be had, and they
told us that they were anxiously looking out for a boat
with provisions. A glass of brandy adulterated with
a little vitriol was all that we procured, and we returned
on board, rejoicing to escape the frantic mosquitoes of
the little settlement.

At nine the next morning we weighed anchor, and
the "Porpoise," which, meantime, had taken some
smaller vessels over the bar, now took us in tow, and
with some trouble, dragged us over, the keel scraping
occasionally. She carried us several miles out into the
gulf, and then left us to make our way alone as well as
we could, which, as there was very little wind, was
slow work enough ; and at length we were quite
becalmed.

My fellow-passengers were, a Hamburgh merchant,
an American landholder, who possessed thousands of
acres in Texas, which he wished to dispose of, (I never
knew^ any one from Texas, Avho did not possess at least
ten thousand acres of good land ;) and a citizen of Liibeck,
who had married in America, and who was taking his
wife and liis two children to live in his native country.

THE GULF OF MEXICO FEVER. 391

July 25 th, during a perfect calm, I jumped over-
board to bathe in the crystal waters. A more de-
lightful feeling is hardly to be described than that of
diving, swimming, splashing in the warm waters of the
gulf; it almost seemed impossible to sink, the body
being so buoyant in the salt water. I felt a longing
desire to become a dolphin in the transmigration of
souls, and to settle in the gulf of Mexico. I remained
in the water till I was quite tired, and was obliged to
lie down. Moreover, sea bathing never agreed with
me, and on the morrow I felt rather unwell. In New
Orleans I was not quite right, but would not take any
.medicine ; now I thought it was time to do so, and
swallowed a dose of tartar emetic I had had the pre-
caution to bring with me, mixing in it a glass of
Madeira. The dose was rather strong, and its effect
excessive ; yet I was better after it.

On the 28th and 29th July, two sharks were caught,
and eaten ; but I could not join in the feast, for I was
now really ill with a fever, and sharp pains in the
chest, and every movement was attended with great
suffering. There was also cause for disquietude, in five
sailors being taken ill, and their disease assuming an
extraordinary character.

One evening as I was lying shaded from the moon-
beams, I heard the mate talking with the American
passenger, who was also unwell, and he told him, in a
friendly way, that before we were clear of the gulf,
at least five men would have to be sewn up in sail-
cloth and dropped overboard ; and among them he
named my worthy self. This was rather more than a
joke ; after escaping all the dangers and toils of the

392 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.

land, to be pitched over the side like a dead dog : and
I was resolved to prove the old proverb : " Where
there's a Mdll, there's a way,'' and to get well again. I
took a glass of excellent arrack, and had a quantity of
it rubbed on my chest and shoulders. I fell asleep in
a few minutes, and in the morning I felt lighter and
better. By the 1st August I was able to crawl about,
and decidedly improving. On the 3rd, we came in
sight of Cuba, and passed close enough to the shore to
make out the palm-trees and country houses.

The sick sailors were still dangerously ill, and though
there was a medicine chest, yet there was no doctor on
board, nor any one who understood its contents ; so
there was little hope for the poor fellows. One died
that same evening, another on the 6th, another on the
7th. There were no stones or w^eights on board to sink
the corpses, and they swam about the ship, as if they
wished to be taken on board again, and not to be left
in this waste of waters. The moon was shining clear,
and we looked long in silence at the melancholy spec-
tacle, not knowing whose turn might come next.

It was possible that we should be obliged to return
to an American port for men to navigate the ship, for
six seamen had deserted at New Orleans, and one had
died, and the captain had replaced them by two Ameri-
cans, one Frenchman, and one Italian, altogether too
few when we first started. However, soon after the
third corpse was thrown overboard, a fresh breeze
sparng up from the westward, and on the 9th we
entered the Atlantic. The patients improved, and by
the 11th all were well and fit for work.

Leaving the Gulf stream as soon as possible, to avoid

THE LUBECKER AND IIIS WIFE THE CHANNEL. 303

tlie thunder-storms so frequent there, we had the most
beautiful weather in the world, with a fresh S. Yv^.
wind, inspiring cheerfulness and good spirits. We
amused ourselves in the mornings with books or chess,
and in the evenings playing whist yviih a dummy, the
time passing rapidly and agreeably. Sometimes, by
way of a change in our amusements, the American wife
cuffed her Liibeck husband, or threw some household
utensil at his head ; sometimes the Texan landholder
got drunk, and talked all kinds of nonsense. Thus
there was no awful pause in our entertainments, up to
the time of arriving in the channel on the 1st of Septem-
ber, when a cutter came alongside, and sold us fresh
fish and potatoes, which we enjoyed very much after all
the salt provisions.

It was too thick to see the land, but after dark we
made out a light-house on the coast of England, and
afterwards another on that of Normandy. The next
day was still foggy, and the wind against us ; later, a
pleasant breeze sprung up from the westward, dispersed
the fog, displaying the chalky cliffs of Albion in all the
splendor of the setting sun ; — hundreds of vessels were
in sight, while the sea was almost as smooth as a lake.
I mounted aloft to feast my eyes undisturbed, on old,
beloved, long-desired Europe, which seemed to open
her arms with a friendly smile to welcome back the
wanderer.

I remained till the darkness hid the prospect from
my sight. At midnight the wind changed again, and
we had to beat to windward ; as the day was cleai;, Ave
could make out people walking at Brighton, and the
long rows of bathing-machines on the beach. We also

394 WILD SPOKTS IX THE FAR WEST.

came close in to- Dover, and then over to Calair^, after
which we cleared the land, and stood into the North
Sea.

On the 17th September, a pilot came on board, and
on the evening of the 18th we were off Bremerhafen,
and anchored about a quarter of a mile from the en-
trance on account of the ebb. Here, to our great con-
sternation, the pilot informed us that we should be put
in quarantine, on account of the deaths ^vhich had
occurred. This was a woful stop to all our hopes of soon
treading on terra firma, and it was in a very ill humor
that I watched the dread flag flying from the foremast.

On the following morning we moved close to the
Hanoverian fort. A boat with a flag uniting the
Hanoverian and Bremen colors, j^ut off and came
alongside, holding on by a boat-hook, and refusing to
touch a rope, for fear of infection. Two carefully
enveloped figures sat in the stern ; one of these was a
doctor, who made us all look over the ship's side, that
he might behold and study our physiognomies, and see
if they looked at all suspicious. "We were mustered,
to show that all were present, and then he inquired
into all the particulars of the deaths. After gaining
all the infomiation he desired, he noted it in a book,
and said quite coolly that he would send a report to
Bremen, and that we should hear again in a few days.
Here was precious felicity ! We had just time to call
out to the boatmen the names of various articles we
wished them to procure us, such as fresh meat, bread,
butter, potatoes, &c. a good sign how ill we all were —
ere the boat pushed off, made sail, and disappeared in
the harbor.

QUARANTINE, 305

The Liibecker's American wife, the only woman - on
board, had in the mean time had many a dispute with
her husband, whom she shamefully tormented ; yet he
bore it all with inconceivable patience. She struck
him, bit him, hid his things, or threw them overboard,
abused him, and in short, behaved in a manner that would
have exposed her to the roughest treatment from many
others ; but her good man bore it all with a " AYliat
can I do ? " This was his answer to the advice of every-
body on board, all wishing that she should meet the re-
ward of her infamous conduct ; but it was always, "What
can I do ? I cannot strike her." His better half hap-
pened to hear the Avord strike (schlagen), and although
she did not understand German, she knew what that
meant; so springing on him like a fury, and holding
her fist in his facej she told him in unmistakable terms
that if he once attempted to raise his hand to her, she
would plunge a knife between his ribs, and scratch out
his eyes. She was a little frightened by one of the
party telling her that if she did not treat her husband
better, he had the right in Germany of selling her to
anybody who would buy her — a statement which I con-
firmed : this startled her ; but if she had had any reflec-
tion, she must easily have known that no one would buy
such a termagant.

She behaved better during the time we were in
quarantine, perhaps feeling that she was alone among
foreigners, and would be quite helpless without her
husband.

Ten days passed away, and we only saw the boat
when she brought the letters or provisions ; at length
one of the party wrote a request to the principal

396 WILD SPOKTS IN THE FAR WEST.

authorities in Bremerhafen, that the passengers at least,
who had nothing to do with the cargo, might be per-
mitted to land. Contrary to expectation, the answer
was favorable, and next morning a barge, of blessed
memory, came alongside, " in which the passengers and
baggage " — so ran the order — " were to be thoroughly
smoked."

All our baggage was removed to the barge ; the con-
tents were unpacked and spread out, the hatches laid
on, a dark powder thrown in, and then something liquid,
and the hold was instantaneously filled with a thick
smoke. As soon as all the goods' were smoked, the pas-
sengers were required to undergo the same process ; and
we walked about in tliis dreadful smoke for about a
quarter of an hour : my lungs did not get rid of the
effects of it for three days after. This ordeal past, we
repacked our clothes, and prepared, after our long
absence, to tread once more on German ground. We
waved a last adieu to our good captain, his officers, and
crew, whose conduct could not be too highly praised ;
and in a few minutes, with light and joyful hearts, we
stepped on the soil of our native land.

THE END.

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