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1 2 3

T II E

TRAPPER'S Guide

AND

MANUAL OF INSTRUCTIONS

FOR

CAPTURING ALL KINDS OF FUR-BEARING ANIMALS, AND

CURING THEIR SKINS; WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE

PUR-TRADE, HINTS ON LIFE IN THE WOODS.

AND NARRATIVES OF TRAPPING AND

HUNTING EXCURSIONS.

By S. NEWHOUSB,

AMD OTHER TRAPPERS AND BPOBTSMEK

NINTH (REVISED) EDITION.

NEW YORK:

Forest and Stream Publishing Co.

1894.

rib

2207 57

Aeu/ tj-oijze

CopjTiKht, 1S94.
By FdREST AND Stream PuBLisaixa Co,

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION.

PAGE ?— 12.

Connection of Trapping with otlier Trades 8. Observations on the Fof
Trade, 9. Season for Trapping, 10. Statistics of the Fui- Trade, 11.

THE TRAPPER'S ART.
PAGE 13-101.

I. PuELiMiNAUiES, 13—20. The Dead-fall, 13. Poisoning, 14. Shoot-
ing, 14. Steel Traps, 15. Requisites of a good Trap, 15. T]\e Spring-
pole, 17. The Sliding-pole, 18. The Clog, 18. Rule for Baiting. 19.
Proper Outfit of Traps, 20. Profits of Trapping, 20.

II. Captdre of Animals, 21—77. The Muskrut, 21. The ]Mink, 23.
The Marten, 25. The Sable, 26. The Ermine, 28. The Fisher, 30. The
Fox, 32. The Otter, 35. The Sea Otter, 41. The Beaver, 42 '. lie Wolf,
47. The Buar, 48. The Raccoon, 50. The Badger, 51 '■ .o Wild Cat or
Bay Lynx, 53. The Iiynx, 50. The Cougar, 58. 'lue Jaguar, 59. Th?
Lion, Gl. The Tiger, 02. The Wolverine, 66. The Opossum, 07. Th«
Skunk, 67. The Coypu Rat, 70. The Chinchilla, 71. The S.iuirrel, 71
The Woodclmck or Mar.-not, 72. The Gopher, 72. The Rat, 74. The
Deer, 74. The MoooC, 76.

Some New Bruis^'wick Traps, 78-86. Deadfall for Bear, 78,
Dead-fall for Fishei, 80. Tobique River Dead-fall, 82. Dead-fall for
Sable, 83. Otter or Beaver Trap, 85.

III. Curing Skins, 87—91. General Rule?, 87. Stretching Skins, 88.
Board Stretcher, 38. Muskrat Stretcher, 89. Bow Stretcher, 90. Hoop
Stretcher, 90.

IV. Life in the Woods, 92—101. Outfit for a Campaign on Foot, 92.
Outfit for an Excursion by Wagon or Boat, 94. Tent, 95. Stove and
Furniture, 95. Bed and Bedding, 96. Camp Chest, 97. Cooking, 97.
Jerked Meat, 99. Preparations against Insects, 99. Shanty, 100. Trap-
ping Lmes, 100.

THE TRAPPER'S FOOD.
PAGE 102-111.
The Deer, 102. Rocky Mountain Sheep or Big-horn, 103. Argali, 104.
Prong-horn Antelope, 105. Squirrel Hunting, 106. Ruffed Grouse, 106.
Pinnated Grouse, 107. Sharp tail Grouse, 108, Cock of the Plains, 108.
Dusky Grouse, 109 Canada Grouse, 109 White-tailed Ptarmigan, 110.
Willow Ptarmigan, 110 European Grouse, 111 Water Fowl, 111.

irwiBWBIil|-i

Hi^^..

CONTENTS.

Notes on 1'rappino and Wood-Craft. By F. R., p. 111—121.

Plan of a Tiiapping Campaign. By Peter M. Gunter, p. 122—126

Boat-Building, p. 120—129.

Snow-Shoes, p. 130.

Oil for Firb-Arms, p. 130.

NARRATIVES.

PAGE 131—205.

An Evening with an Old Trapfeij, 131—137. A Young Tr.\pper's
Experience, 138-142. The Deer Hunt, 143—145. Muskrat Hunt-
iNO, 146—158. An Amateur in the North Wood!*, 159—174. Trav
elling in a Circle, 175—180. An Expedition to the Laurentian
Bills, p. 181—205.

FULL PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Portrait of S. Ncwhouse,

The Muskrat opposit

The Mink,

The Marten,

The Sable,

The Fisher,

The Red Fox,

The Otter

The Beaver,

The Wolf, .".""".

The Grizzly Bear,

The Raccoon,

The Badger, .......'.

The Wild Cat,

The Lynx,

The Cougar,

The Opossum,

The Skunk .'.'.'*.

The Coypu Rat,

The Chinchilla, .'.'",

The Woodchuck, .

The Rat,

Family of Deer

M< ose Yard,

Ml. Newhouse's Tent and Stove

Log Shanty,

Deer Breaking Cover,

The RuflFed Grouse

The Wild Goose

Canoes,

Snow-Shoes and mode of wearing them

Frontispiece.

ite piij

rii 21

( i(

( it

( "

* • **

t (1

( n

»l

«•'

'38

100

102

• «

106

120

130

PREFACE TO THE NINTH (UEVISEiJ) EDITION.

TiTis is a new uiul revised edition of the "Trapper's
Guide," by S. Newliouse and other lumters and sportsmen.
Its character as a standard book on woodcraft has been
shown by its steady sale for over twenty years. It is the
work of practical men, assisted by careful editors. Its di-
rections for catching game iire those in actual and success-
ful nse. Its narratives of inniters' and trappers' life are
simple, truthful, and charming. It tells how to trap all
kinds of fur-bearing animals; how to cure their skins ; how
to live in the woods ; how to build boats and catch fish in
winter ; how to destroy the pests of the farm and poultry
yard ; how to hunt deer, bear, and other large game. It
is a book for lovers of woodcraft, for excursionists, and for
boyo.

INTRODUCTION.

BY THE KDlTOlt.

Tills book was not ori";inaIlv clesiniu'd I'or amateur sijorts-
men or for the rcadino; j)ublic <;eiu'rally, Imt for |)ractical
workingnien who make or propose to make tra])pinn; a means
of HveHhood. The |)!an of it was suiZijested by a business
necessity in the ibllowin<i manner :

Mr. S. Nowhouse, a momb(!r of tlie Oneichi Community,
liaving become widely known as the maker of an excellent
kind of steel-traps, and it beinn; generally understood that the
practical perfection of his tra])s is owing to the wisdom in
wood-craft which he gained in early life by actual experience
in trapping, he has often bct'n ai)i)lied to by his customers and
others for information in regard to the best methods of caj)t-
m'ing various animals. The most convenient way to answer
such applications seemed to be to put his wisdom in ])rint, and
let it go abroad with his traj)s. In preparing for jjublication
the material fui'nished In' Mr. Newhotise for this ])urpose, the
editors found new facts, inquiries, and written contributions
relating to trapping and kindred pursuits crowding upon
them, till the original idea of a small technical ])amphlet
swelled to the dimensions of the ])resent work. The objects
which they have finally aimed at have been, on the one hand,
to furnish all the infoimation needed in order to qualify a
mere novice in trapping to enter upcm the business intelli-
gently and successfully ; and on the other, to make an inter-
esting book for all lovers of wood-craft, and for the reading
public at large.

riie character of the work, however, will be found to be

INTKODUC'l'ION.

mainly m accordance witli its orirrinal practical design ; and it
might properl}' be dedicated to poor men who are looking out
for pleasant work and ways ot' making money ; and especially
to tiie pioneers of settlement and civilization in all parts of the
world.

As honesty is always good policy, it is best also to confess
here that the author and editors of this work are exten-
sively engaged in the business of making steel-traps, and have
an eye to their own interests, as well as to the interests of
others, in this effort to help the business of trapping.

And here perhaps is the place to say something of the
mutual relations of the several trades immediately concerned
in the subject of this book, and of their importance in the
machinery of universal business.

CONNECTION OF TRAVPING WITH OTHER TRADES.

Trapi)ing, in the business series, is the intermediate link
between trap making and the fur-trade. The trapj)er buys
of the trap-maker and sells to the fur-dealer. The first
furnishes him with weapons, and the second buys his spoils.
Through the first, he is related to the manufacturers and
merchants of iron and steel, who furnish materials for his
traps, and to the hardware men who bring them to his door.
Through the second, he connects with the fur-manufacturer,
the hatter, and the clothes dealer, and sends supplies of com-
fort and luxury to the world of wealth and fashion.

Traj)ping and trap-making are directly subservient to the
fur-trade. They may be said to be branches of it, or even to
be its foundations. The fur-business expands as they pros-
per, and, vice versa, they prosper as the fur-business expands.
The trapper and trap-maker watch the y)rices of furs, as the
sailor watches the winds and the currents. When furs are
high, trapping becomes active, and the trap-maker has his
hands full of business. When furs are low, trapping declines,,
and the trap-maker has to dismiss his workmen.

The importance of the subservient trades, trapping and
trap-making, can best be judged by looking at the statistics
of the great fur-market for which they work. The fur-trade^

INTRODUCTION.

everybody knows, is an inunciisf business. Tlio making of
the weapons and tho fighting:; may be out of sight, but tlie
spoils of the war are seen by all. Many a colossal fortune,
like John Jacob Astor's, has been founded on peltry ; and
many a frontier city, liki' St. Paul's, lias been built up by the
traffic that ori<i;inates in tiie enterprise of the trapper and trap-
maker.

OllSERVATIONS ON Till'. FUll-TUADK.

The followint!; statements are made on tiie authority of
members of lar^e fur-dealing firms in the city of New York.

The yearly production of raw furs in the whole world is
worth from seventeen to twenty millions of dollars, and the
whole amount of the fur-trade, inchuling manufactured goods,
reaches a value of not less than one hundred millions.

Tiie wliole number of Muskrat skins alont , laken annually,
is estimated at five or six millions ; of whicli three millions
are used in Germany.

Raw furs ar^ divided by American dealers into ♦./o classes.
viz.. .^lipping furs, /. e. furs that are to be sent abroad ; and
home furs, or furs for use in this country. The leadiny; arti-
cles among shipping furs are tlie Silver, Red and Cross Fox,
Raccoon, Fisher, Wildcat and Skunk. Among home fuia are
the Mink, Opossum, House Cat, Wolf, and Marten. The
Muskrat and other furs are classified under botii heads.

Prices for shipping furs are regulated by the foreign de-
mand.

The great fur-marts in Europe, are London, Leipsic, and
Nijni Novgorod. At these j)oints semi-annual sales (or fairs as
they are termed), take place. The spring sales are most
important. Here the representatives of the leading fur-houses
from all parts of Europe meet to make their purchases during
the months of March, April, and May.

The fur-trade of Leipsic is estimated at six and a half mill-
ions of dollars annually.

Raccoon fur is the great staple for Russia ; Red Fox for
Turkey and the oriental countries ; Skunk for Poland and
the adjacent provinces ; Muskrat for Germany, France, and
England.

INTRODUCTION.

New York is the great fur-mart in this country, and is the
main depot of the shi|)ping trade. There are no organized
fur-companies at the present time. The business is carried
on bv private firms of h>rge means and long experience. The
New York Directory gives the names of more than one hun-
(h'ed furriers and fur-merchants, thirty of whom are wholesale
dealers.

The leadinj; fashionable fur for this country is the Mink ;
but the furs that are within the reach of the masses, and most
worn, are the Muskrat and the O])ossum.

The wearino; of furs in this country is very little affected by
climate^ but is regulated almost entirely by fashion. In Eu-
roj)e, on the other hand, the state of the elements determines
the extent of the call for furs as articles of clothinrr. Hence,
notwithstaiidinii the winters on both continents are crowino-
milder, the demand for furs is (continually iucreasino; in this
country, wjiile in Europe it is falling off.

Tilt- more thickly settled parts of the United States show
a large decrease in the "catch " of furs; but new territories
are continually opening to the trapper ; and though he moves
from year to year farther north and west, the supply steadily
keeps pace with the demand.

SEASON I'Oli THAPriNG.

All furs are best in winter ; but trapping may be carried
on to advantage for at least six months in the year, i. e. any
time between the first of October and the middle of Ajiril.
There is a period in the warm season, say from the first of
May to the middle of Sej)tember, when tra]iping is out of the
question, as furs are worthless. The most trapping is done
late in the fall and early in the spring.

The reason why furs become worthless in summer is, that
all fur-bearing animals shed their coats, or at least lose the
finest and tbickest part of their fur as warr' weather ap-
proaches ; and have a new growth of it in the fall to protect
them in winter. This whole process is indicated in the case
of the Muskrat, and some other animals, by the color of the
inside part of the skin. As sumniei- approaches, it becomes

INTRODUCTION.

brown and dark. That is a sign that the best fur is gone;
Afterwards it grows h'glit-colored, and in winter wheir the
fur is in the best condition it is a cream white. When the
pelt is white it is called prime by the fur-dealers. The fur
IS tlien (/lossi/, thick, and of the richest color, and the tails of
•such animals as the Mink, Marten, and Fisher are full and
iieavy. Beavers and Muskrats are not thoroughly prime till
about the middle of winter. Other animals are prime about
the first of November. There is probably some variation
with the latitude, of the exact period at which furs become
prime, the more northern being a little in advance. Trappers
are liable to begin trapping too early in the season, conse-
quently much poor fur is caught, which must be sold at low
prices, and is unprofitable to the trapper, the fur-buyer and
the manufacturer.

STATISTICS OF THE FUR-TRADK.

The following estimates of the annual production of all
the fur countries in the world, were given in a volume on
the fur-trade, published in 1864, by Heinrich Lomer, one
of the prmcipal fur-dealers of Leipzic. The total value is
somewhat less than we have given on a previous page and is
probably within the truth.

YEARLY PUODUCTiON OK FUUS THKOUGIIOUT THE WOULD.

Names of Furs.

Sablo

Mink

Pine Marten . .

Stone Marten

Fitch ,

Kolinsky or Tartar /
Miirten . . . )

Ermine

Squirrels . . . .

Muskrat

German Marmot . .
Cliincliillas . .
Silver Fox . . . .
Cross Fox . .
Blue Fox . . .
IVhite Fox .
Red Fox

.2 ■!

109,000

80,000

a5o,ooo

G,00<),000
150,000

600

5.6U0

54,000
46,000

120,000
250,000
380,000

200,000

140,000

"C<5
ft)

£•5

130,000 (;,0(ii.

200,000 55,000

I tiO.oOo
15l),0()()
220,000

2,850,000

100,000
1,500
4,300

8,000

50,000
1,000,000

lOO

G,500

23,000

85,000

245,000
255,000
180,000
400,000
000,000

80,000

400,000

7,(KK).000

8,000,000

200,000

100,000

2,000

10,000

6,500

85,000

880,000

2,500,000
7(JO,0(X)
H4O,(XI0

l,;ijo,o(X>

tXK),UOO

80,000

100,000

1,000,(X)0

2,000

80,0(JO

200,000

77,000

60,000

85,000

700,000

12 INTRODUCTION.

YKARLY PRODDCTION OF FURS THROUaHOUT THE WOP.LD. — (Continued.)

■?<

'•2

Names of Fur».

.St

^l.

.5 =

S c

OS o

't.

Ss&.a

Mp^U

(jlray Fox ....

25,000

Kit"Fo.\ ....

80,000

10,000

40,000

Uiicoooii ...

600,000

FishiT (ir I't'kan

12,500

100,000

Skunks

100,000

80,000

OpoHSUin ....

250,000

30,000

280,000

80,000

Marmot or Wood- 1
chuck . . . . )

40,000

5,000

55.000

11,050

Bears . .

1,700

15,000

2.300

19,000

195,000

Jaiix . . ...

15,000

2(3,000

9,000

50,000

175.000

\Volf

6,000

500

12,500

6,000

25,000

40,rK)0

Buffalo . ...

00,000

60,(XI0

480,000

Wolverene . .

300

2,500

700

8,5(J0

10,600

IJailK<!r ....

30,000

2,000

23,000

55,000

41,000

lleavcr ....

30,000

130,000

160,000

675,(KX»

Sea-Otter .

1,200

300

1,500

200,000

Otter . .

4,000

12,000

20,000

9,000

45,000

305,000

Fur-Scals

25,000

30,000

55,000

280,000

Seal .

130,000

20,000

( 20,(100
1 500,(100

330,000

1,000,000

Coypu ....

3,000,000

400,000

Hares

2,000,000

1,300,000

1,200,000

4,500,000

1.030.000

Uabl.its . .

4.420,000

r 80 ,000

5,000,000

800,000

Cat

250,000

500,000

45,000

205,000

1.000.000

235,(J00

liaiiiliskins . .

700,000

2,000,000

330.000

3,030,000

1,825.1100

Moukoy

40.000

40,000

50.000

Ucu and Tig«r . .

500

5,000

32,050,500

17,456.6501

t Valne in Ameiicaa coin, $12,721,152.50.

Since the above table was prepared, Butt'alo have entirely disappeared
from the. Western Plains, and the collection of skins has ceased. The
production of Fur Seals has greatly incre;ised, especially in Alaska.
The other estimates in the table are probably as approximately correct
as any now, in 189i, available.

rll

THE TRAPPER'S ART.

By S. new ho use.

I. PRELIMINARIES.

Wild animals are taken for various reasons besides the
value of then- furs. Some are souglit as articles of fboci •
others are destroyed as nuisances. In these cases the meth'
o<ls of capture are not essential. Animals that are valuable
or food may be run dow,i by do.s, or shot by the rifle or
fovvhno-piece ; and nuisances may be destroyed by poison.
But for the capture of fur-bearing animals, there is^ but one
prohtable method, namely, by steel-traps. Other methods
were mucli used by trappers in old times, before aood steel-
traps were made ; and are still used in semi-barbarous coun-
tries, where steel-traps are unknown, or cannot be had I
will briefly mention two or three of these methods, and the
objections to them, and after that give my views of the true
method.

THE DEAD-FALL.

This is a clumsy contrivance for killing animals, which can
be made anywhere, with an axe and hard work. It con-
sists of two large poles (or logs when set for bears and other
large animals), placed one over .^he other and kept in place by
four stakes, two on each side. The upper pole is raised at
one end high enough above the lower to admit the entrance
of the animal, and is kept up in that position by the familiar
contrivance of the stick and spindle, or "figure four." A
tight pen IS made with sticks, Drush, &c., on one side of this
structure, at right angles to it, and the spindle projects ob-

THE TIlArPER'S ART.

liquely into this pen, so that the bait attaciied to it is about
eicrht inches beyond the side of the poles. The animal, to
reach the bait, has to place his body between the poles and at
ri<j;ht nno;les to them, and on pulling the spindle, springs the
" figure four," and is crushed.

The objections to this contrivance are, first, that it takes a
long time to make and set one, thus wasting the trai)|)er's
time ; and second, that animals caught in this way lie exi)osed
to the voracity of other animals, and are often torn in pieces
before the trapper reaches them, which is not the case when
animals are caught in steel-traps, properly set, as will be shown
hei'eafter. Moreover, the dead-fall is very uncertain in its
operation, and woodsmen who have become accustomed to
good steel-traps, call it a " miserable toggle," not worth bait-
ing when they find one ready made in the woods.

POISONING.

Animals are sometimes poisoned with strychnine. I have
mvself taken foxes in this wav. I used about as much strycli-
nine as Avould be contained in a percussion-cap, inclosed firmly
in a piece of tallow as large as a chestnut, and left on the
fox's bed. After swallowing such a dose, they rarely go more
than three or four rods before they drop dead.

The objection to this method is, that it spoils the skin.
Furriers say that the poison spreads through the whole body
of the animal, and kills the life of the fur, so that they can-
not work it profitably. Poison is used very little by woods-
men at the present time.

SHOOTING.

This method of killing fur-bearing animals, is still quite
prevalent in some countries. It is said to be the principal
method in Russia, and is not altogether disuseil in this coun-
try. But it is a very wasteful method. Fur-dealers and
manufacturers consider skins that have been shot, especially
by the fowling-piece, as hardly worth working. The holes
that are made in the skin, whether by shot or bullets, are but
a small part of the damage done to it. The shot that enter

PRKLIMINARIES.

it is about

} animal, to

)o]es and at

springs the

t it takes a
le trapper's
■ lie exj)osecl
irn in pieces
i case when
ill be shown
n-tain in its
ustomed to
worth bait-

le. I have
lucli strych-
losed firmly
left on the
ily go more

s the skin,
whole body
t they can-
by woods-

still quite
e principal
this coun-
ealers and
especially
The holes
its, are but
that enter

the body of the animal directly, are almost harmless compared
with those that strike it obliquely, or graze across it. Every
one of these iirazini; shot, however small, cuts a furrow in the
fur, sometimes several inches in length, shaving every hair in
its course as with a razor. Slits in the skin have to be cut out
to the full extent of these furrows, and closed up or new ])ieces
fitted in. Hence when the hunter bvings his stock of skins
to the e.\i)erienced furrier, ho is generally saluted with the
question, •' Are your furs shot, or traj)pe(l ? " and if he has
to answer, " They were shot," he finds the dealer (piite indif-
ferent about l)uying them at any ])rice. The introduction of
good steel-trajjs into Russia would probably add millions of
dollars annually to the value of the furs taken in that vast
territory.

STKEL-TKAl'S.

The experience of modei'u trap])ers, after trying all other
methods, and all kinds of new-fashioned traps, has led them
almost unanimously to the conclusion, that the old steel-trap,
when scientifically and faithfidly made, is the surest and most
economical means of capturing fur-bearing animals. Some
of the I'easons for this conclusion are these: Steel-traps can
be easily transj)orted ; can be set in all situations on land or
under water ; can be easily concealed ; can i)e tended in great
numbers ; can be combined by means of chain and ring with
a variety of contrivances (hereafter to be described) for se-
curing the animal caught from destruction by other animals,
and from escape by self-amputation ; and above all, the steel-
trap does no injury to the fur.

And here I think it my duty as a true friend to the trapper,
to give him the benefit of my experience and study in regard
to the form and qualities of a good steel-trap, that he may be
able to judge and choose the weapons of his warfare intelli-
gently.

UKQUISITES OF A GOOD TliAl'.

The various sizes of traps adapted to different kinds of
animals, of course require different forms and qualities, which
will be spoken of in the proper places hereafter. Rut several
of the essentials are the same in all good traps. .

THE rHAPl'J':R'S ART.

1. The jaws should not be too thin and sharp-comend. Jaws
made of sheet-iron, or of j)lates aj)])roacliii)g to tlie thinness
of slieet-iroii, and liaving sharp edges, or, still worse, sharp
teeth, will almost cut off an animal's leg by the bare force of
the spring, if it is a strong one, and will always materially
lielp an animal to gnaw or twist off his leg. And it should be
known, that nearly all the animals that escape, get away by
self-amjnitation.

2. The pan should not be too large. A large pan, filling
nearly the whole space of the open jaws, may seem to increase
the chances of an animal's being caught, by giving him more
surface to tread upon in springing the trap. But there is a
mistake in this. When an animal s})rings a trap by treading
on the outer })art of a large ])an, his foot is near the jaw, and
instead of being caught, is liable to be thrown out by the
stroke of the jaw ; whereas, when he treads on a small pan,
his foot is nearly in the centre of the sweep of the jaws, and
he is very sure to be seized far enough up on the leg to be
w'.'ll secured.

'5. The spring should be strong enough. This is .. uxtter
for good judgment, that cannot well be explained here ', but
it is safe to say that very many traps, in consequence of false
economy on the part of manufacturers, are furnished with
springs that are too weak to secure strong and desperate
animals.

4. The spring should be tempered scientifically. Many
springs, in consequence of being badly tempered, " give
down " in a little while, i. t'., lose their elasticity and close
together ; and others break in cold weather, or when sf^t
under water.

5. The spring should he correctly proportioned and tapered.
Without this, the stronger it is and the better it is ten'pored,
the more liable it is to break.

6. Tlieforrn of the jaws must be such as to give the boiv of
the spring a propr.r inclined plane to work upon. In many
traps, the angle at the shoulder of the jaws is so great, that
even a strong spring will not hold a desperate anim.al.

7. The adjustment of the spring and jaws must be such,

PRELII^UNARIES.

Jaws

inn ess
sharp
rce of
x'rially
.ukl be
,vay by

, filling
ncrease
n more
ire is a
[reading
aw, and
by the
lall pan,
aws, and
eo; to be

.. V.J liter
ere •, but
of false
wA with
desperate

Many

d, "give
:ind close
when spt

d tapered.
tempered,

the hoio of
In many
great, that

al.

si he auch.

that thejaivs will lie flat when open. Otherwise the trap can-
noc well be secreted.

8. Tlie jau's must work easily in the posts. For want of
attention to this, many traps will pot spring.

9. The adjustment of all the parts and their actual working
should he so inspected and tested that every trap shall he ready
for use — " sure to go.,'''' and sure to hold. In consequence
of tlie unfiiithfViluess of trap-makers in inspecting and testing
their work, many a trapper, after lugging a weary back-load
of trai)s into the wilderness, finds that a large portion of tliem
have some " hitcli " wliich either makes them worthless or
requires a tug at tinkering before they can be made to do the
poorest service.

German and English traps are almost universally liable to
criticism on all the points above mentioned ; and most of the
traps made in this country fail in one or more of tliem.

In addition to the foregoing requisites, every trap should
be furnished with a stout chain, faithfully welded, with ring
and swivel. And let the trapper look well to the condition
of the swivel. Many of the malleable iron swivels used by
second-rate, careless manufacturers, will not turn at all ; and
many an animal escapes by twisting off chains tliat have these
dead swivels.

In treating of the capture of particular animals, I shall
have occasion to refer frequently to several contrivances that
are used in connection with the fastening of steel-traj)s. I
will therefore describe those ccmtrivances here, once for all.

THE SPRING-POLE.

In taking several kinds of land animals, such as the mar-
ten and fisher, it is necessary to provide against tiieir heing
devoured by other animals before the trapper reaches them,
and also against their gnawing off their own legs, or breaking
the chain of the trap by violence. The contrivai ce used for
tnis purpose is called a spring-pole^ and is prepared in the fol-
lowing manner : If a small tree can be found standing near
the place where your trap it. set, trim it and use it for a spring

-li

THE TRAPPER'S ART.

' I

. as it stands. If not, cut a pole of sufficient size and drive it
firmly into the ground ; bend down the top ; fasten the chain-
ring to it ; and fasten the pole in its bent position by a notch
or hook on a small tree or a stick driven into the ground.
When the animal is caught, his struggles, puMing on the
chain, unhook the pole, which flying up with a jerk, carries
him into the air, out of the reach of prowlers, and in a con-
dition that disables his attempts to escape by sell-amputation
or other violence. The size of the ])ole must be |)roportioned
to the weight of tlie game which it is exj)ected to lift.

THE SLIDIXG-rOLE.

Animals of aquatic habits, when caught in traps, invariably
plunge at once into deep water ; and it is the object of the
trapper, availing himself of this plunge, to drown his captive
as soon as possible, in order to stop his violence, and keeji him
out of the reach of other animals. The weight of the trap
and chain is usually sufficient for this purpose in the case of
the muskrat. But in taking the larger amphibious animals,
such as the beaver, the trapper uses a contrivance which is
called th' sliding-pole. It is prepared in the following man-
ner : Cut a pole ten or twelve feet long, leaving branches
enough on the small end to prevent the ring of the chain from
slipping off. Place this pole near where you set your trap, in
an inclined position, with its ssnall end reaching into the deep-
est })art of the stream, and its large end secured at the bank
by a hook driven into the ground. Slip the ring of your chain
on to this pole, and see that it is free to traverse down Lhe
whole length. When the animal is taken it plunges desperately
into the region towards which the pole leads. The ring slides
down to the end of the pole at the bottom of the stream, and,
with a short chain, prevents the victim from rising to the sur-
face or returning to the shore.

THK CI.OG.

Some powerful and violent animals, if caught in a trap that
is staked fast, will pull their legs off, or beat the trap in
pieces ; but if allowed to drag the trap about with a moderate

prkliminarip:s.

weight attached, will behave more gently, or nt least will not
be able to get loose for want of purchase. The weight used
in such cases is called a clog. It is usually a pole or stick of
wood, of a size suited to the ring of the trap-chain, and to
the size of the game. As the object of it is to encumber the
animal, but not to hold it fast, the chain should be attached
to it near one of its ends, so that it will not be likply tf^ get
fast amon<i the rocks and bushes for a considerable time.
The usual way is to slip the ring over the large end of the
pole and fasten it with a wedge.

HULK FOR B.VrriN(i.

There is one general principle in regard to haitiug animals
that may as well be recorded and ex])lained here, as it is ap
plicable to all cases. It is this : Never put halt on the pan of
a trap. The old-fashioned traps were always made with holes
in the pan for strings to tie on bait ; and many if not most,
novices in trapping imagine that the true A\ay is to attract the
animal's nose straight to the centre of action, by ])iling bait
on the pan, as though it were expected to catch him by the
head. The truth, however, is, that animals are very rarely
taken by the head or the body, l)ut almost always by a leg.
When an animal pulls at a bait on the pan of a traj), he is not
likely even to spring the trap, for he lifts in tlie wrong direc-
tion ; and if lie does spring it, the position of his head is such,
especially if the bait is high on the pan, that he is pretty sure
to gl .-e the jaAvs tlie sli|). Besides, bait on the pan calls the
attention of the wary animal to the trap ; whereas he ought
to be wholly diverted from it, and all signs of it obliterated.
Bait sliould always be placed so that the animal in attempting
to take it shall put a foot on the pan. This can be done in
several ways, all of which will be explained in detail here-
after. But this general direction mav be given for all cases
that are not otherwise prescribed for : Place the bait either on
a stick above the trap, or in an inclosure so arranged that the
animal will have to step over the trap to reach it.

THE TRAPPER'S ART.

■,

PROPER OUTFIT OF TRAPS.

In preparing for a trapping excursion, the novice naturally
inquires how many tra]),s he shall take along. If the question
were simply how many traps he could tend^ I should probably
say from one to two hundred. But the main question really
is, how many traps can he carry f If he is going on a marsh,
lake, or river, where he can travel by boat, or into a region
where he can carry his baggage by horse and wagon, he may
take along all the traps he can tend, — the more the better.
But if he is going by overland routes into the rough, woody
regions where most game abounds, and consequently must
carry his baggage on his back, he will probably find that
seventy-five small traps, or an equivalent weight of large and
small ones, will be as much as ho will like to carry,

PROFITS OF TRAPPING.

The provident candidate for wood-craft will want to know
what wages a man is likely to make at trapping. I will give
him a few instances of what has been done, and then he may
judge for himself. I have cleared seven dollars per day for a
five weeks' trip. A man that once trapped with me, caught
fifty-three muskrats in one night, which at present prices
would be worth fifteen dollars and ninety cents. I know
several men in Jefferson county (New York), who paid for
good farms with furs that they caught within eight miles of
home. It is not uncommon for two men to make five hun-
dred dollars in a trapping season. But too much reliance
must not be placed on these specimens. Good weather, good
trapping-grounds, good traps, good judgment, and good luck
must be combined, to secure good profits.

:r !

'»

laturally
question
probably
in really
a marsh,
a region
, he may
e better.
1, woodv
tly must
ind that
arge and

to know

will give

1 he may

day for a

2, caught

nt prices

I know

paid for

miles of

five hun-

reliance

her, good

;ood luck

■ h\n

'■^:4iM^Al ^ '\ ..J§^>

II I

liii

II. CAPTURE OF ANIMALS.

It will ho useful to the inexperienced trapper to have some
account of tlit appearand' and habits of each animal in con-
nection with instructions for capturin<f it. Sucli information
is often indispensahle as the basis of ])lans and contrivances
for capture. 1 shall confine myself to brief descriptions in
conuiion lanfTua<ie, not attempting any thing scientific ; and I
shall avail mvself of the help of books where mv own obser-
vation and experience fail.

THK MUSKHAT OR MUSQIASII.

This is an animal of amphibious habits. Its head and body
are from thirteen to fifteen inches in length. The tail is nine
or ten inches long, two-edged, and for two thirds its length
rudder-shajjed, and covered with scales and thin, shoi-t hair,
tlie edges being heavily fringed. The hind feet are slightly
webbed; so that it can "feather the oar," as boatmen say,
when they are brouo;ht forward in swinnninjr. The color is
brown above and ashy beneath. Muskrats are nocturnal in
their habits ; but are frequently seen swimming and feeding
in the day time. They are excellent swinnners, and can go
from ten to fifteen rods under water without breathino;. Their
natural food is grass and roots ; but they will eat clams, mus-
sels, flesh, corn, oats, wheat, apples, and many other vegeta-
bles. In open winters they sometimes find their way into
farmers' cellars through drains, and make free with whatever
they find in store. They thrive best in sluggish streams or
i.onds bordered with srass and flags. The roots of these
plants are their chief support, and from the tops they con-
struct their abodes. These structures are dome-shaped, and

THE TRAPPER'S ART.

rise sometimes to tlie heigiit of five or six feet. The entrances
are at tiie bottom, under water ; so that the inside of the
houses are not exposed to the open air. The Muskrats live in
them in winter, gatliering into families of from six to ten
members. Hundreds of these dwellings can be counted from
a single point in many large marshes.

Muskrats have a curious method of travelling long distances
under the ice. In their winter excursions to their feeding-
grounds, which are frequently at great distances from their
abodes, they take in breath at starting and remain under the
water as long as they can. Then they rise up to the ice, and
breathe out the air in their lungs, which remains in bubbles
against the lower surface of the ice. They wait till this air
recovers oxygen from the water and the ice, and then take it
in again and go on till the operation has to be repeated. In
this way they can travel almost any distance, and live any
lensth of time under the ice.

The hunter sometimes takes advantajje of this habic of the
Muskrat, in the following manner : When the marshes and
ponds where Muskrats abound are first frozen over and the ice
is thin and clear, on striking into their houses with his hatchet
for the purpose of setting his traps, he frequently sees a wlioie
family plunge into the water and s '^n away under the ice.
Following one of them for some distance, he sees him come
up to renew his breath in the manner above described. After
the animal luis breathed against the ice, and before he has had
time to take his bubble in again, the hunter strikes with his
hatchet directly over him and drives him away from his
breath. In this case he drowns in swimming a few rods, and
the hunter, cutting a hole in the ice, takes him out. Mink,
otter, and beaver travel under the ice in the same way ; and
hunters have frequently told me of taking otter in the manner
I have described, when these animals visit the houses of the
Muskrat for prey.

In summer, Muskrats live mostly in banks and in hollow
trees that stand near a stream ; and sometimes, for want of
suitable marshes and ponds, they remain in the banks and
trees through the winter. They are very prolific, bringing

!^^^^■Ir^•'yl,,^}^i,.,,',V.t••t • r.-', -t -, ■,..,,.

■ances
•f the
ive in
o ten
[ from

tances
2(Hng-
their
3r the
B, and
iibbles
lis air
ake it
1. In
e any

of the

:!S and

:he ice

latchet

whoie

16 ice.

come

After

as had

ith liis

mi his

Is, and

Mink,

,' ; and

nanner

of the

hollow
ant of
ks and
ringing

1 1

iii

( •■■/

•tl

rt ii

^'■■--H

1 ■ j.

I.I :;

;ii' '

■[. ^ 1

CAPTURE OF ANIMALS.

forth from six to nine at a birth, and three times a year. The
first kittens also have one litter, which attain to about the size
of house-rats in September. They have many enemies, such
as the fox, wolf, lynx, otter, mink, and owl. They are found
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Rio Grande to
the Arctic Regions. But thev do not inhabit the alluvial
lands of Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, thonuh in
other reo;ions they live much further south.

The modes of capturing the Muskrat ai'e various. One of
them we have already seen. Another is by spearing, of
which a fine example will be given in a subsequent article by
Mr. Tliacker. Tiiese methods are liood at certain seasons
iind in certain conditions of the ice, &c. ; but for general serv-
ice there is no means of cajoture so reliable as the steel-trap.
Traps should be set in the ])rincijial feeding places, play-
grounds, and holes of the Muskrat, and generally about two
inches under water. Bait is not necessary except when game
is scarce and its signs not fresh. In that case you may bait
with apples, parsnips, carrots, artichokes, white flag-roots, or
even the flesh of the muskrat. The nnisk of this animal will
sometimes draw efl'ectuallv at lon<: distances. The bait should
be fastened to the end of a stick, and stuck over the trap about
eight inches high, and in such a position that the animal will
have to pass over the trap to take the bait. Care should be
taken to fasten the trap to a stake in such a position that the
chain will lead the captive into deep water and drown him.
If he is allowed to entangle himself or by any means to get
ashore, he will be very likely to gnaw or twist ort' a leg and
get awav.

THE MINK.

The Mink is found in the northern parts of America, Eu-
rope, and Asia. Its fur is fine and valuable. The ]VIink is
carnivorous, and belongs to tiie mustelidoB or weasel family.
It resembles the ferret and ermine. It is not amphibious like
the muskrat, yet lives on the banks of streams and cets much
of its food from them. It is of a dark brown color , has
short legs, a long body and neck, and a bushy tail. In this

THE TRAPPER'S ART.

1 1

■I : '

country tliere are two varieties, which some natnraHsts have
supposed were distirct species ; one small, dark-colored, com-
mon in the Northern and Eastern States and Canada ; the
other larger, with lighter-colored, coarser, and less valuable
fur, common in the Western and Southern States. The dark-
colored variety measures from eleven to eighteen inches in
length from the nose to the root of the tail, and has a tail from
six to ten inches in length. The European and Asiatic Mink
is a distinct species.

Mink are ramblers in their habits, except in the breeding
season. They feed on fish, frogs, snakes, birds, mice, and
muskrats ; and the hen-roost frequently suffers from their dep-
redations. They are very fond of speckled trout, and pretty
sure to find out the streams where those fish abound. Their
breeding season commences about the last of A])nl, and the
females bring forth from four to six at a litter. The young
are hid by the mother till they attain nearly half their growth,
as the males of this species, as well as of the marten, fisher,
w^easel, panther, and most carnivorous animals, destroy theii
young when they can find them.

Mink can be taken in steel-traps, either on land or in the
water. Experts generally prefer to take them on land. The
trap should be set near the bank of a stream. If one of their
holes cannot be found, make a hole by the side of a root or a
stump, or anywhere in the ground. Three sides of the cavity
should be barricaded with stones, bark, or rotten wood, and
the trap set at the entrance. The bait may be fish, birds, or
the flesh of the muskrat, cut in small pieces ; and it should
be put into the cavity beyond the trap, so that the animal will
have to step over the trap in taking the bait. The trap should
be concealed by a covering of leaves, rotten vegetation,
or, what is better, the feathers of some bird. In verv cold
weather the bait should be smoked to give it a stronser smell.

Mink can be attracted long distances by a scent that is pre-
pared from the decomposition of eels, trout, or even minnows.
These fishes are cut in small pieces, and put into a loosely-
corked bottle, which is allowed to hang in the sunshine for
two or three weeks in summer, when a sort of oil is formed

IVfe

ra-
the
ble
rk-
in
om
nk

ncl
3p.
tty
eir
:he

"g
th,

er,

eii

;he
'he
eir
' a
itv
nd
or
lid
-'ill
lid
>n,
)ld
'11.
re-
vs.
Iv-

ft/

for
ed

i:i; I

ii; t

it i

r 1

!■! I

• ./ ■ /l.

CAITUIIE (JF ANIMALS.

2[}

which omits a very strong odor. A few drops of this oil on
the bait, or even on a stick without bait, will draw Mink very
effectually.

The chain of tlie trap should be fastened to a spring-pole,
strong enough to lift the animal, when caught, out of the
reach of the Hsher, fox, and other depredators ; or if the trap
is set near deep water, it may be attached to a sliding-pole,
which will secure the game by drowning it. Both of these
devices are fuilv described on i)no;es 17 and 18.

TIIK MARTEN.

The ]\Iarten is found on this Continent from about north
latitude forty degrees to the northern limits of the woods, or
about sixty-eight degrees. On the Eastern Continent they in-
habit all the North of Europe and Asia, excej)t the treeless
districts of the cold regions. The principal species are, the
Pine Marten, which inhabits both continents, the Beech or
Stone i\Iarten of Europe, the Sable of Russia and Northern
Asia, and the Japanese Sable. Naturalists class the fisher,
also, with the Martens. The Russian Sable is the finest and
most valuable of all the Martens. The Hudson's Bay and
Lake Superior Martens are next in value. Those from Hud-
son's Bav, though reallv a variety of the American Pine
Marten, are commonly called Hudson's Bay Sables, and their
fur is known by that name in the markets of Euroj)e.

The Marten belongs to the weasel finnilv, and is carnivo-
rous. It is about as large as the mink, and differs but little
from the latter in form, save that its feet are larger and hairy
to the toes, and its tail is somewhat larger and of a dark brown
or black color. The fur of the American Pine Marten is ecu-
erally of a yellowisli brown, but varies greatly in color accord-
ing to season, latitude, and locality. The Hudson's Bay and
Lake Superior Martens are very dark-colored. The favorite
haunts of these animals are the thick dark woods of the cold
snowy regions. They are strictly arboreal in their habitat.
They generally live in hollow trees, but occasionally they ex-
cavate dens in the ground. They feed on rabbits, birds,
squirrels, mice, and other small animals ; are fond of beech-

'IllK THAIM'KU'S AKT.

;

! I

;!!

I !

lii

lis

'( .

nuts, and, it is said, ivst'inbk* the bejir in tlieir fondness fol
honey. They su'o active chinbers, and their small size enubles
them to pursue tiie <:;ray s(|uirrel and capture him in liis
hiding-j)laces. Tiiey are, however, unable to cope in speed
with the red squirrel or chickaree. Tiiey are not strictly
nocturnal in their habits, as some have asserted, being fre-
(piently seen and killed in the daytime. Their breeding sea-
eon begins in March or April, ar.d they have from three to
five young at a time, wh.ich are hidden from the males during
infancy.

Sir John Richardson, the Arctic exj)lorer, says that "par-
ticular races of Martens, distino;uished by the fineness and
dark color of their fur, appear to inhabit certain rocky dis-
tricts."

Throughout the Hudson's liay Territory tliere is a period-
ical disai)j)earance of the Martens, which is very remarkable.
It occurs, according to liernard llogan Ross, in decades, or
thereabouts, with wonderful regularity, and it is not known
what becomes of them. They are not found dead, and there
is no evidence of their migration. The failure extends through
the whole territory at the same time. In the seasons of their
disappearance, the few that remain will scarcely touch bait.
There seems to be a providential instinct in this by wliich the
total destruction of the race is prevented.

Martens are taken in steel-trajis by the same method as the
mink. In winter, however, the traps should be set in h(>llow
logs or trees, secured from the covering of snows, and con-
cealed by the feathers of a bird. The Marten trappers of the
Hudson's Bay (Company commonly bait with fish-heads, pieces
of flesh-meat, or, what they consider still better, the heads of
wild fowl, which the natives gather for this purpose in au-
tumn.

THE SABLE.

As I have already remarked, the Sable is closely allied to
the martens. It is classed with them in Natural History, un
der the scientific name of Martes Zibellina. Two species aro
known : the Martes Zibellina or Russian Sable, and the Jap-
anese Sable. The latter is marked with black on its ]es?. and

less fot
eimbles

in liis
I) speed

strictly
iiig fVe-
ing sesi-
tliree to
s during

it " i)ar-
less and
»cky dis-

i pcriod-
larkable.
cades, or
t known
nd there
tlirougli
of their
ich bait,
lich the

od as the
n hc41ow
and con-
rs of the
s, pieces
heads of
ie in au-

:1
.1

<
CO

til

allied to

tory,

)ecies aro
the Jap-
legs and

I 1

I I

:ii '

Hi!

CAl'TUKE OF ANIMALS.

feet. It is tlioiin;ht by some of tlie Hiulson's Hay Com| jny'i
agents, that a marten exists in the northwestern part of Brit-
ish America, and in the late Russian Possessions, which, if not
the same, is very closely allied to the Russian Sable. The
Russian Sable is spread over a vast extent of territory, being
found from the northern parts of European Russia eastward
to Kamtschatka. Its size is about equal to that of the marten,
bein<i about eioliteen inches in leiiffth exclusive of the tail. It
is not very proliHc, seldom bringing forth more than five at a
birth, and generally only three. This takes place in y arch
and April. They make their homes chieHy near the I inks
of rivers, and in the thickest parts of the woods. They usu-
ally live in holes which they burrow in the earth. 1 hese
burrows are commoidy made more secure by beijig dug iv icng
the roots of trees. Occasionally they make their nests in the
hollows of trees, and there rear their young. Their ncLts are
composed of moss, leaves, and dried grass, and are so'.'t and
warm. Their food varies with the season, and is part'y ani-
mal and partly vegetable. In the summer, when har< s and
other small animals are wandering about, the Sable devours
great numbers of them. But in winter, when these animals
are contined in their retreats by the frost and snow, the Sable
is said to feed on wild berries. It also hunts and devours the
ermine and small weasels, and such birds as its agility enables
it to seize. Sometimes, when other sources of food fail, it will
follow the track of wolves and bears, and feed on the rem-
nants of prey these animals may have left.

The fur of the Sable is in great request, and is the most
beautiful and richly tinted of all the martens. The color is
a rich brown, slightly mottled with white about the head, and
having a gray tinge on the neck ; it varies somewhat according
to locality, and in some regions is very dark. The best skins
are said to be obtained in Yakootsk, Kamtschatka, and Russian
Lapland. Atkinson, in his " Travels in Asiatic Russia," says
that Bagouzin, on Lake Baikal, is famed for its Sables. No
skins have yet been found in any part of the world equal to
them. The fur is of a deep jet black, with points of hair
tipped with white. This constitutes their peculiar beauty

>; I;

I 111 r

(

I I

I >

li TIIK TRAPPKR'S AUT.

From eijjlity to ninety dollars aro sometinies clcinandecl by tlie
hunters for a sinjile skin.

The Russian Sable is monopolized by the iinjMM'ial family
and nobility of that country. Only a few skins find their way
into other coimtries. Some, however, are obtained j)rivately
m Siberia, by Jewish trailers, and brought annually to the
Leipzig; fair. The fur of the Sable has the peculiarity of
being fixed in the skin in such a maimer that it will turn with
e(jual freedom in all directions, and lies smoothly in whatever
direction it may be pressed. The fur is rather long in propor-
tion to the size of the animal, and extends down the limbs to
the claws.

The best method of capturing the Sable is by the steel-trap,
the same as I have already described for taking the mink and
marten.

The Sable can be domesticated with success.

THE ERMINE.

Next in imjiortanco to the sable, amongst European furs, is
that of the Ermine. The Ermine belongs to the weasel fam-
ily, has the general weasel shape and appearance, and inhabits
the northern parts of Europe and Asia. It is a small animal,
measuring only about fourteen inches in total length, of which
the tail occupies four inches. There is, however, considerable
variation in the size of individuals. The Ermine is carniv-
orous and a most determined hunter. It preys on hares, rab-
bits, and all kinds of small quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles.
It is very fond of rabbits, of which, especially the young, it
destroys great numbers. The pheasant and partridge also
suffer greatly from its preda'^ity It pursues its game with
great pertinacity and rarely enfP rs it to escape. It is also
a great plundercr of birds' .MHSirf of all kinds. Its favorite
mode of attacking its prey is ])y fastening on the neck
and sucking the blood of its victim. Wood, in his " Illus-
trated Natural History," gives the following account of the
manner in which the hare is hunted by the Stoat or Ermine :

" Altliough lolerably swift of foot, it is entirely unable to cope
A'ith the great speed of the hare, an animal which frequently falls

CAPTURK in ANIMALS.

tlie

A victim to I lie Stoat. Yet it is ciiiiblcd, by its groat delifacy of
scent ami the singular eiuiuraiice of its frame, to run down any hare
on whose trt'.k it may have set itself, in spite of ihe long legs and
wonderful speed of its |)rey. When pursued by a Stoat, the liarc
does not seem to put forward its strength as it does when it is fol-
lowed i)y dogs, but as soon as it discovers the nature of its pursuer,
seems to lose all energy, and hops lazily along as if its I'aculiies
were benumbed by some powerful agency. This strange hissitude,
in whatever maimer ii may be produced, is of great service to the
Stoat, in enabling it to secure an animal which might in a very few
minutes |)lace itself beyond the reach of danger, by running in a
straight line.

" In this curious phenomenon, there are one or two poitits worthy
of notice.

"Although the Stoat is physically less powerful than the hare, it
yet is endowed with, and is conscious of, a moral superiority, which
will at length attain its aim. The hare, on the other hand, is sensi-
ble of its weakness, and its instincts of conservation are much weaker
than the de>tructive instinct of its pursuer. It must be conscious
of its inferiority, or it would not run, but boldly face its enemy ; for
the hare is a fierce and determined fighter when it is matched <'ii;ainst
animals that are possessed of twenty times the muscular powers of
the Stoat. But as soon as it has caught a glimpse of the nery eyes
of its persecutor, its faculties fail, and its senses become oppressed
with that strange lethargy which is felt by many creatures when
they meet the fixed gaze of the serpent's eye. A gentleman who
once met with a dangerous adventure with a cobra, told mc that the
creature moved its head gently from side to side in i'ront of his face,
and that a strange and soothing influence began to creep over his
senses, depriving him of the power of motion, but at the same time
removing all sense of fear. So the hare seems to be influenced by
a siniilar feeling, and to be enticed as it were to its fate, the senses
of fear and pain benumbed, and the mere animal faculties surviving
to be destroyed by the single bite."

The mink, marten, fislier, and other members of tlie weasel
family,, are said to exercise an influence on their prey similar
to that above described.

The color of the Ermine in summer is a lifflit reddish brown
on the upper parts of the body, and lighter tinted or nearly
white underneath. In winter, in the hiorh northern latitudes,,

fi'i

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TiiK TiiAprKirs Aiir.

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.11 ;

its fur changes to a delicate cream-colored wliite, on all ])arts
of the body except the tip of the tail, which retains its Mack
color and forms a fine contrast to the rest of the body. It is
only in the coldest portions of Norway, Sweden, Russia, and
Siberia that th^ Ermine becomes sufficiently blanched in win-
ter to become of any commercial value. Russian Asia fur-
nishes the greater portion of those caught. In England the
Ermine, when in its summer coat, is commoidy called the
Stoat, and, on account of its predaceous habits, is thoroughly
detested.

Ermine fur was formerly monopolized by the royal families
and nobility of Europe, but now finds its ^^ay into the gen-
eral markets.

The same general methods should be pursued in trapping
the Ermine as in the case of the mink and marten.

THK riSHEH.

This animal is usually called Pennant's Marten by the
naturalists. From some hunters it also receives the name of
Pekan. But in the fur-trade it is generally known as the
Fisher. It is strictlva North American animal, ran^ino; from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the mountains of North
Carolina and Tennessee to the Great Slave Lake, and perhaps
still further north.

The Fisher belonfjs to the weasel familv, and resembles
both the marten and the wolverene in its habits and <ieneral
appearance, though much larger than the former and less
than the latter. Its general shape is like that of the marten,
but its head is more pointed, its ears are more rounded, its
neck, legs, and teet are stouter in proportion, and its claws
"inich stronger. An average, full-sized Fisher will measure
i!';out two feet from the nose to the root of the tail. Its tail
is about fifteen itichos in length. Its feet are large, short, and
t^tout, and thickly covered with fur and hair. The color of its
fur is tlark brown or black, and its tail is black and bushy.

FisJiers are found chieHy in the cold, snowy regions of the
north, and are generally nocturnal in their habits, though less
80 than the fox. Thev do not live so exclusively in the

vvm-

fur-

tlie

. tlie

iiihlv

"•en-

fid

m-:.'''>'mtff' '"' • '^;-"**^

iV.

in the

l< !

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capturp: of animals.

woods as the marten, but their food is much the same. They
prey on hares, raccoons, squirrels, grouse, mice, and small
birds, and have been seen watching for fish, lying on a log
that crossed the stream, with head inclined downward, ready
for a plunge. They, however, prefer flesh -meat to fish.
Their breeding season begins in March or April, and from
two to four young are brought forth at a time. The young
ire hidden from the males in hollow trees at a considerable
distance from the ground, until they are large enough to take
care of themselves.

F'ishers are takeii in steel-traps by the same methods as the
mink and marten. The barricade round the trap, however,
should be stronger, and the entrance larger. The trap in all
pases should be fastened to a spring-pole of sufficient strength
to lift the animal clear from the ground, as it is pretty sure to
gnaw off a leg or the i)ole, if left where it can touch the
ground. The Hudson's Bay Company's trappers sometimes
use the same methods in trapping the Fisher as those em-
ployed in fox trapping. Messrs. Holland and Gunter, trap-
pers of many years' experience in the Laurentian Hills, of
Canada West, describe their mode of trapjnng the Fisher as
follows : —

I :i

> I

; if'
'«■• 31

it: I

" Foi- capturing the Fislier, wo always draw a trail composed of
the oil of anise, assatbetida, and the musk of the muskrat, mixed
with fish oil, and placed in a deerskin bag about the size of a mitten,
pierced full of holes with a small awl. If drawn along tlie line of
traps the scent is sure to attract the Fisher's attention, and when an
animal once finds it, lie will follow the trail till he comes to a trap.
Mink are sometimes caught along trails of this kind ; and it is a
good plan to set a trap for wolves on the line, as they are likely to
be attracted to and follow it. In setting the trap, we eitlier place it
in a hollow log. or build a strong house and place the traji at the
entrance. In the latter case the bait should be placed in the back
part of the liouse, about two feet from the door. The trap should
be covered with finely powdered rotten wood. A spring-pole should
he used, as all animals of the canine family will follow the trail and
rob the traps. Deer-meat, mnsk rat-meat, or fi>h, make good bait
for the fisher, marten, mink, or wolf."

iil

, '4-

5 'fS

i ■

i i : ^i

' I'

I I

• I 'ii

Till-: IKAPPER-S ART.

Tlie Fisher is an cxceedinfrly powerful animal foi" its size,
and will tear down wooden traps, or " dead-falls," witli ease.
It frequently annoys the trapper by robbing his marten-traps
of their bait, or of the animals they have caught. Indeed,
the marten-trappers of the Hudson's Bay Territory consider
an old Fisher as great an infliction as a wolverene. It will
follow a " line " of tra])s for niiies, and visits them with ex-
emplary reo;ularitv. Tlui structure for takino; the marten
being too small to admit the entrance of a Fisher, he breaks
in from behind, and thus secures the bait without o;<-^ttins into
the traj).

THE FOX.

The members of the Fox or Vulpine genus are numerous.
Foxes are distributed through all latitudes, but they are
most abundant in the North. Naturalists recognize fourteen
different species. On this continent we have the Red, the
Cioss, the Silver or Black, the Prairie, the Swift or Kit, the
(irray, the Coast, and the Arctic species. Northern Asia is
represented by the Black and Gray, the White, the Red, and
the Kit ; European Russia, Sweden, and Norway, by the
Black and Gray, the Ci'oss, the Blue, the White, and the
Red ; Middle Europe, by the Red ; and Greenland by the
Blue and the White. In Southern Africa the Asse or
Caama, and in Northern Africa the Fennec or Zerda, belong
to the Fox genus. Fur-dealers say that there are thirteen
different varieties or species of the Fox in Russia.

The Fox is one of the most imj)ortant of the fur-bearing
animals. The most valuable, most beautiful, most rare, and
most sought for of all the foxes, is the Silver Grav or Black.
It is found in the high northern latitudes of both continents,
but only about two thousand skins in all are annually ob-
tained. The best ones bring at the London sales as nuich as
two hundred dollars each. The Cross Fox is next in value.
On this continent the Black, Cross, and RchI Foxes vary
greatly in color and marking, and in quality of fur. This h
probably due to the liybridizing of the different species with
each other. It is thought by some hunters that the Crosa

iif

the
or

ong

•inn;

ack.
iits,
ob-
1 as
lie.
arv

IS 13

vith
ross

Q
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mmmmmmmm

II 1)

li'l^

!ii

CAPTURE OF ANIMALS.

Fox is a liyhrid between the Red and the Black. It seems,
liowever, to be a permanent variety.

The Fox beloiifTs to tlie dog or wolf family, and is carnivo-
rous in its habits. The different species closely resemble each
other in size, form, habits, and mode of capture. Tliey differ
mainly in the color and rpiality of their fur, which varies, in
consequence of difference in species and in climate, from the
coarsest dog; fur to the finest sable. The American Red Fox
is the most common in this country, and in many parts of the
United States is considered one of the worst robbers of the
farmer's sheep-fold and hen-roost. The Red Fox of Europe,
thoup;h closely resembling the American, is a different species.

Foxes fi}cd on grouse, small birds, hares, rabbits, squirrels,
muskrats, mice, fish, eggs ; and some of them are remarkably
fond of grapes, strawberries, and other ripe fruits. When
pressed with hunger, they accept reptiles and carrion. Their
modes of securing their prey are various. They generally
seize their victim by creeping stealthily within springing dis
tance, and pouncing on it like a cat ; but they frequently pur-
sue the rabbit and other same with the " long chase." Their
senses of sight, smell, and hearing are very acute, and their
speed is great. They are cunning, and their tricks to escape
their enemies and secure their jirey are very remarkable.
The length of the Fox from the nose to the tip of the tail is
about three feet, and its weight from fifteen to twenty-five
pounds. The tail is large and bushy, and Avlien wet retards
their speed in running. Their breeding season is in February
or March, and they bring forth from four to nine at a birth.
They generally burrow and rear their young in the earth, but
sometimes take up their abode in a hollow tree or log, or in a
ledge of rocks.

Some of the most successful methods of catchino; the Fox
are the following : —

To prevent the smell of iron from alarming the game, the
trap should be thorougldy smeared with blood, which can be
done by holding it under the neck of some bleedinc animal
and allowing it to dry. Or, for the same purpose, it may be
heated and covered with beeswax, which at the proper tern

II |l

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,4,4

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Till-: IRAITKUS A 111',

l''¥ \

peratuve will readily rim all ovor tln^ tra|) and chain. Iv
should b'j si't near the iiaunts of the fox. A hed of ashes,
chafK, or lio;ht earth should eonreal the trap, and it should lu;
fastened to a niovahle elo^ (tf six or ei^ht pounds' weight, as
directed on pa;;!.' 18. Wool, moss, leaves, or some other soft,
suhstance should he paeked lightly under the ]ian and around
tlu^ jaws. The suilaee of the «'arth in the nei;j;hl)orhood of
the trap should he hrushed with a (piill or hush, so tiiat all
will seem natui'al. Sei'aps or small |)ie('es of fried meat, rolled
in honey, should he scattered ovi-r the hed of the M'a|), except
where the j)aJi is. Care should he taken to erase all foot-
prints. To make the allurement doubly sure, ohtain from
the female of the doif, ibx, or wolf the matrix in the season of
coition, and preserve it in a (piart of alcohol tiiihtly corked.
Leave a small ])ortion of this pre])aration on something; near
the trap; and then, puttinii; some of it on the bottom of your
boots I'rom time to time, strike lar<;e circles in two different
directions, leading round to the tra|). A piece of bloody meat
may be drawn on these circles at the same time. The Fox,
on strikino; this trail, will he verv sure to Ibllow it round to
the trap and be cauuht.

Another method practise ' by woodmen is to set the traj) in
a spring that does not freeze over in winter, placing it ab(mt
half an inch under water, and covering the s|)ace within the
jaws with a piece of moss that rises above the water. A bait
of meat should be ])laced in such a ])osition that the Fox, in
taking it, will be likely to put his foot on the moss, to ])revent
wettinir it. The essence of the skunk is sometimes used in
this case, in connection with the bait, with good effect ; but
most trappers prefer the prej^aration in alcohol, above men-
tioned.

Another good way is to obtain from the kennel of some
tame Fox (if such can be found) a few quarts of loose earth
taken from the place where the animal is accustomed to urin-
ate. Set your trap in this material, and bait and smooth the
bed as before. The 1^'ox, cunning as lie is, is not proof against
Biicli attractions.

aslies,
nid !)(•
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[I'ounti

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hat all
rollcil
'xcept
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r meat
i Fox,
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about
in the
A. bait
ox, in
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sed in
; but
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some
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1 urin-
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gainst

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■:?

I III!

CAI'TUIIK OK ANIMAI.S.

']:>

TllV. O'lTFK.

81
Tl.

Tlie Otter is fumid in lu-iirly iill jtarts of the world. Eleven
at k'lst varieties, liavo hceii notieeil hv naturalists.

)ecies, or

it tl

lese mhahit the iollowiiiif coiintru's: one s|K'('ies eaeh iti
FiUrope, Island of Trinidad, (liiiaiia, lira/.il, Kanitscliatka,
.lava, Madi _,ascar, Pondicia-rry, ("ape ol' (T(M)d llopo; and
two spoeies in North Ainei'iea. The ijrincipa! spt'c-ies on tins
Continent, and the most important of all in the fur-trade, is
the Canada or American Otter, scientiHc name Lutra Cann-
dfiisis. The I'anne of this Otter is from the Atlantic Ocean to
the I'acitic, and from the Onlf of Mexico to tiii; shores of the
Arctic Sea. The othei" North American species is the Cali-
fi)rnia Ottei*.

'I'he Otter is a(piatic in its hahits, liviu;^ in and near streams
and ijettinif its livini:; from them. In appearance the Otter
resembles a maenilied min

k. Its f

nr am

I col

or are nuu

h liki

those of the mink, and the lie-hteninir of tlie tints in ivn' ari'
the same in hoth. Its i'ur is shoi't and thick. The nnder-lur
is sliujhtly waved and silky, and similar in texture to that of
the beaver, but not so lon<i;. It has a silvcrv white shatle.
The color of the overlying hairs varies from a ricdi and flossy
brownish black to a dark chestnut. The under parts are lighter
than the upper. The Otter's ears are small and tar ai)art;
head broad and fiat above; body thick and long; feet hard,
short, and webbed ; tail long, round, and toward the tip de-
pressed, and flat beneath. The i'ur on the tail is the same as
tliat on the body, but shortei'. Its legs are apparently set
upon the sides of its body, which gives it an awkward,
waddling ap[)earanc(; when travelling on land. Otters fre-
quently measure three feet and a half from the nose to the
ti]) of the tail, and weigh from fifteen to twenty-five [)ounds.

■7

lire exce

llent

swmnners an

d d

I vers, a

can

Hiam

leu" activity ni this tdiMuent ena-

a lonir time \uider water,
bles them to take fish with the greatest ease. They even
destroy fish in great numbers for the mere i)leasure of killing
them, when they do not require them for food. The speckled
trout is their favorite game, and they frequent the clear rapid

i w

■ i

1:11

:.;

ti .:sa

I'll I I

TIIK rilAlM'KU'S AIM'

sTHMins ill sojircli oC this daiiify. Tliry arc somctiiiKvs taiiiod
and taii^dit to drive lisli into llic lU't, and cvfii to catcli tlifiii
and hrini; tlnMii asliorc loi- tlu-ir master. 'I'lic ( 'liincsc or
Iiidiar. Otter, callfd also tlie Nair-Nair, alHu'ds a ;:;ood illiis-
tnilion of lliis cnpahilily. In every ]mrl, of India llie
trained Oilers are aliiio.sl, as eoimu(»n as llie trained do<'8 in
iMitfland.*

Otters hiirrow in llie Itank ol" streams, liniiii^ tlieir nests
\vitli leaves and <i;rass. Tlie entraiie«'s to tlieir al»odes are
under water. Tlieir l)reediii<i; season is in April or May, and
llu> I'emales hriiin; (ortli from two to lonr yoniin; at a time.

Tlu'V are <:;re<^avions and raml)lin<jj in tlieir lialiits, and liu\o
a sinmilar praetiei' ol' slidinu; down wet aiul niiiddv hanks
and iey slopes, apparently I'or sport. Tlie |)laees where lliev
])lay ill this manner are called " slides," and arc round at
intervals on all the streams and routes 'hat they liaiinl. 'I'licy

• I'lic iiKidi' (if iiislniclicMi wliicii is tiillmvcd in tln' ('(liicaticin nt'llu^ Oiler is siiiipic,
aiul is liuis ('\|>laiiu'il in WikuI's l/hmtrdlid Siiliirtil llhlonj: " 'I'Ik' ci'i'iiluro is liy
(t(';;f('i's wi'jnu'd iVoni il-~ iisuul lisli (lict, and lanniil In live ahnn-t wlndly on bread
and milk, tlie only tisli-liUo arliele wliieii it is pcrniitted losee lieiii}; a leatlieni eaiica-
tiiiv of the (iimy race, witli wliicli llie yomifi; Oiler i-. Iialiitiialed to jday as a kideii
plays widi a iriini|iled paper i>r a cdrk, wliiili does lenipoiarv duty tlir ii imiiisn.
AViion tlie animal lias aeoiisli>iiie<l ilsidl' li> eliase and eati'li llie arlil'ieial (isli, and to
fjivo it into till' hand of its niasler, the teaelier extends his insliiietions liy diawinf^
tlie leathern ima^e -niailly into the water hy nnvjis of a striiii;', and eiicoiirai;in;; his
pupil to )iliine;e into the stream al'ler ih- hire and hrin^; it aslmre. As sooiias ilm
yount; On, r yields tlii> leathern l>rey, it is rewarded liy soini' dainty morsel wliieli its
te:ieher is earel'iil to kee|i al hand, ami learns to eonneil the two cirenmslaiiees to-
gether. Ilavinf.; lioeomo prolieient in the ]ireliminarv inslriielloiis, Ihe pupil is I'lirlln'r
tested hy the suhstitnlion of a veritahle, hnl a <li'ad lisli, in lien of the iniiniifaelnred
arliele, and is taught to ehase, capture, and yield lln? lish al the coinmand ofiis mas-
ter. .\ livin;; lish is then altixed to a liiu' in order to he hronttht hy tlio OKer (roni
tlio water in which it is ]ieriiiitted to swim; and lastly, the pnpil is tan^^lit to ]inrsno
and capture liviuj; lish, which are thrown into the wal'Tliefore its eyes. The remain-
inji point ol' instruction is to lake the so-l'ar trained animal to the water-side, and
induce it to chase and hiiiij; to shore the inhahilanis of the stream, as they .swim
nnconstrnir.ed in their native element.

" When ill pursuit ol' its tinny I'rey, the Otter displays a j^'race and powiT which
rannof. be appreciated without ocular investij;atioii. The an imnl glides Ihron^li the
water with such consuimuato ease and swiftness, mid heiids its ))liant body with such
flexible undulations, that the (jnick and wary llsb are worsted in their own art, and
fall easy victims to the Otter's superior aquatic powers. So easily doos it glide into
the water that no sound is heard, and scarcely a ripple is seen to mark the time or
place of its entrance; and when it emerges ujion the shore, it withdraws its body
from the stream with the same noiseless ease that cbaratterizes ils entruiice."

("Ai'llUK OK ANIMAI,S.

lire fV('(|u<'iitIy sjM'M ill trotijis ol' lour or six w;iin|priii;^ >i)< or
down :i stri'iiiM, ami travclliii*^ (or tiiilfs ovrr liills ami tliroii;r||
swamps, IVoiii one stream <ir iaki- to tin- ticarrst point of aii-
otlicr. Ill tlii'ir ranilijrs tlicy make It a point to have a ;{ami.*
of antics at every '' slide " on their ronle. Tliey are ;:;one
iVnin Imine on exfiirsions of tins kind ;j;enerally a. week or ten
(lavs, and the trap|)er who knows their liahits, is not disap-
pointed if he does not eateli them on their home-j^ronnds tlio
lirst or second nie;ht, Imt wails patiently for their retiiin from
their circuit.

:-^*-;"

Olln- Mill,'.

T have shown on pa<j;c' 14 that tlu; sliootin<:r of fur-hearinj*
animals is a wasteful practice, hocausc it injures tlu; fur. It
is especially wasteful in the case of atjuatit^ animals, because
they sink when shot in the water and n;e!ierally are lost. Very
few Ottor are saved that are killed in this way.

Some trappers take the Otter with what is called a '' cluw-

trap " — an instrument that sprint's

like a common steel - trap, but

strikes and kills the animal with

claws or hooks. This trap should

Claw Trap. be set Oil the steejjest " slides,"

at about tlie middle of the descent and in the centre of the

path, so that the Otter, in his game of sliding down liill shall,

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THE TRAri'ER'S ART.

spring tin; hooks and be struck in tlie centre of tlie body or
breast. The trap must be carefully secreted.

But the common steel-trap is undoubtedly the best means
of taking the Otter; and this instrument should be placed not
on the middle of the " slide," but at the highest point of it,
where the animal starts for his descent. The reason is, that
at that point he is likely to be in a walking position, so as to
be caught by his legs ; whereas when he is on his way down
the hill, he is slidino; and rolling with his fore leo-s under his
body, and is very apt to spring the trap with his breast or belly
so as not to be seized by the jaws. Also the trap should be
placed a little on one side of the central path of the " slide,"
because the legs of the Otter stand out on the sides of his
body and are so far apart, that he is likely to put down his
feet on each side of the trap and not in it, if it is set in the
middle of the path. A suuiil cavity should be made in the
earth with a knife or hatchet, and the trap inserted so as to
be nearly level with the path. Under the pan and around
tlie jaws and springs there should be a light packing of leaves
and moss. The top covering should be dry leaves of some
evergreen or rotten wood broken very finy and brushed off
smooth so as to appear natural. The traji should be fastened
in the following manner: Cut a small tree of the size of the
chain-ring and set it upright near enough to the path to assist
in guiding the animal into the trap, supporting it in that posi-
tion and securing the trap and game by withing or tying the
top to another tree. The ring should be slipped on the butt
and fastened by a wedge. After the trap is thus properly set,
covered and fastened, a dry bush may be carelessly dropped
in such a position as to turn the Otter in the right direction
toward the trap. The whole apparatus diould then be thor-
oughly drenched with water, wliicli can be done by dipping
an evergreen bough in the stream and sprinkling. Finally,
perfume the place of the trap with a few drops of the fish-oil
described on page 24. The musk of the Otter (which is an
oil taken from two small glands, called oil-stones, lying next
the skin on the belly of both sexes) may be added to complete
the charm. The irapper, in his rounds of inspection, should

CAPTURE OF ANIMALS.

be careful to keep at a proper distance tVom the trap wliile it
is unsprung;, so as not to leave any disturbing scent on the
field of operations ; for the Otter's sense of smell is incredibly
delicate.

The art of takinii Otter in the winter under the ice is not
generally understood by trappers, and deserves an exjdanation.
These animals do not hibernate, but travel about in winter
as well as in summer. In the coldest weather they keej) their
feeding holes in the ice open, and are frequently seen near the
edges, playing, sliding, and catching fish. They can be taken
by the following process : Ascertain the dej)th of water at
one of these holes, and cut a pole, suitable to the ring of the
chain, and iono; cnouo;h to rise some distance above the ice
when the butt is driven into the bottom. The ring of the chain
should be slij)ped on the butt before it is driven, and should
be free to traverse the length of the pole, excej)t that a twig
should be left near the lower end to j)revont it from slipping
off when you come to raise the trap. Two branches should
emerge from one p'ace toward the upper and, and should
he left three or four inches long. Drive the pole so that these
branches will be about eight inches below the ice, and fdl into
the fork of the branches with evergreens, so as to give the
appearance of a bird's nest. Set your trap on this nest, and
the Otter, climbing over it to assist him in emerging from the
water, will spring it and be taken. Then he will make a
desperate plunge to the bottom of tiie stream, and tlie ring
of the chain sliding down on the pole, he will bo unable
to rise again and will drown. In this way many can be
taken successively in a single traj). They travel mostly under
the ice in winter, and in their rouiuls visit all the feeding
holes on their way ; and are often taken in traps set as above
directed, when the holes are entirely frozen over.

During the winter the mijrrations of the Otter on land arc
toilsome, and it leaves a deep furrow or j)ath in the snow.
If a trap be set on this path the Otter is nearly certain to be
caught, as it has a strong objection to opening new paths
through the snow. »

Other methods of trapping the Otter than those I have de-

THE TRAPPER'S ART.

I ^'

ki lirlt

I 1

scribed are pursued by different trappers. Some trappers prefer
to take them as tliey come out of the water near their " sHdes.''
It should be understood that Otters do not come ashore di-
rectly on to the " slide." They choose for their " slides " that
part of the bank, of the stream or lake, which descends at a
steep ancrle into deep water, so that when descending the
" slide'' they may plunge swiftly into the water without ob-
struction. In coming out of the water to o;o on the " slide,"
they choose a place where the water is shallow at the shore,
and where they can walk up the bank easily. Hence, their
place of exit is generally at a little distance from the "slide."
The CaTiadian trappers, Holland and Gunter, describe their
mode of trapping the Otter, as follows : —

" "We set the trap close to the huid, where the Otter comes out of
the water to go on the ' slide.' We place the trap about three inches
under water, and a little on one side of tlie path of the animal, so
that the pan of the trap is about three inches from the centre of the
path. Tiie chain-ring of the trap we fasten to a pole fifteen feet
long and one and a half inciies in diameter. Then to the chain
close to the pole we fasten a stone of about eight pounds' weight, to
serve as an anchor ; so that when the Otter is caught and makes for
deep water, the stone sinks him to the bottom and he drowns. In
cases where the water is *oo shallow to admit of setting the trap
appropriately, an excavation should be made. If the water is too
deep, place a flat stone or a piece of sunken wood under the trap.
In all cases the trap should be set level; the anchor-stone and chain
should be sunk under water; and the pole should be placed upright
on one side of the path, in such ji manner as to let the Otter get
into deep water. "We use the Newhouse Fox-Trap altogether for
Otter."

Spencer J. Clark, of Oneida County, New York, who for
merly trapped in V^'^isconsin, recommends setting the trap
where the Otter comes out of the water, in the following
position : The Otter swims to the shore, and as soon as his
fore feet strike the ground his hind feet sink to the bottom,
and he walks out erect. Find the point where the Otter's
hind feet strike the bottom, and set the trap there. The ad-
vantages of this method are, first, the trap is in a position

CAPTURE OF ANIMALS.

where it is not likely to be sprung, except by the Otter's feet ;
secondly, the trap can generally be set and visited ir. a boat
without disturbing the shore, or leaving foot-prints and scent
about the " slide." A sliding-pole should be used.

Other trappers prefer to set the trap several feet from the
sliore, on the path which the Otter takes in ascending to the
top of the " slide." It should be set in the same manner as
1 have described for takino; the animal when coming on to the
" slide," on a preceding page. J. P. Hutchins recommends
this method.

' TIIK SEA-OTTKK.

Along the northern shores of the Pacific Ocean, especially
in Kamtschatka and Russian America, another species of Otter
exists, called the Sea-Otter or Kalan. It Is much larger than
the fresh water Otter, weighing from sixty to eighty pounds.
During the colder months of the year this Otter dwells by the
sea-shores, where it is very active in the capture of marine
fish. When warm weather approaches, the Kalan leaves
the coasts, and with its mate proceeds up the rivers till it
reaches the fresh water lakes of the interior, where it remains
till cold weather again approaches. It is a rather scarce ani-
mal and not very prolific. The head and body measure from
three to four feet in length. The tail is about seven inches
long. Their food consists of fish, Crustacea, mollusks, &c.
This Otter haunts sea-washed rocks, around bays and estua-
ries, lives mostly in the water, and resembles the seals more
than the Otters in its habits. It is very timid, and prefers
the neighborhood of islands where it can find both food and
shelter.

The fur of the Sea-Otter is very beautiful and of great
value. Its color is variable, but the general hue is a rich
black, slightly tinged with brown on the upper parts of the
body, while the under portions and legs are of a lighter hue.
About the head there is occasionally more or less white. The
principal market for the skins is in China, where they are
greatly prized by the official classes.

I cannot learn that any method of trapping the Sea-Otter

<
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TIIH TlJAl'l'KK'S ART.

has evor beoii resoi'tcd to. They are usually luiiited with
hoats, aud shot. Au(hil)oii says that tliey are carerullv ap-
])r()ac'he(l by the boat, and when witliin a shoi't distauee are
shot, aiul then harpooned by tlie bowsinan before they sink.
A careful study ot" their liabits and haunts wouhl probably
indicate some method of taking them with the steel-trap,
which would l)e mrti'o successful and inexpensive than ai\v
other.

TIIK MKAVKi;.

The Beaver belongs to the same family with th^' muski'at,
and, like the latter, is ani]»hibions. Iiuleed, these two s|)ecies
are so nearly alike, that a IJeaver seems to be oidy a uuiskrat
enormously enlarged. The body of the Heaver is thick,
heavy, and squat ; about two feet and a half long; weighing,
when full gi'own, from sixty to eighty j)ounds. 'J'he tail is
the most notable part of the aniir.al. It measures from ten
to twelve inches in length, and from three to four and a half
inches in breadth. It is oval in shape, but flattened on the
upper and under sides, and is covered with a species of hairy
scales, which are set uj)on a tliick, dusky skin. It is believed
by tra]ipers who have diligently watched the ways of this ani-
mal, that it uses its tail as a sj)a(le or trowel in working mud
and sand. This member also answers the ])urpose of a prop,
to help the animal stand erect while at W( rk. It serves as
both rudiler and oar in swimming, being turned under the
body at a riiiht an<rle, ami swunu; from side to side with ffreat
rapidity and power, the operation being like the sculling of a
boat.

Beavers are not iirey-arious in sunmier, but become so at
the api)roach of winter, when they build their huts and dams
and gather their stores of food. Their huts are built first,
generally in Sej)tember, and are much like those of the musk-
rat, hut larger and stronger. They rise out of the water,
and have their entrances at the bottom. They are made to
hold ten or twelve animals each. Some Beavers live on the
banks of large rivers aiul lakes, and, having of course j)lenty
of water, do not build dams, but have their holes in the banks,

St,

^sm

i 4

CAPTUllK OF ANIMALS.

witli their i inces under \n ti-r, and their huts in front of
tliem. '^hes^c are called Bank Beavers, though they differ in
nothing from their :lam-building brethren. Those that live
on small streams, where there is not water enough to surround
their huts and protect their stores from freezing in winter,
huild dams to raise the water and create j)onds suitable for
their purpose. They conniience by cutting down with their
teeth trees of all sizes, from those of ten inches in diameter
to the smallest brushwood. These are cut into pieces suitable
for transportation by a single animal, and then are conveyed
to the place chosen for a dam, the Beaver laying one paw over
the timber, as he drags it along with his teeth. The smaller
materials, such as mud, sticks, and stones, are carried between
one of the fore-paws and the chin. The dams differ in shape
according to the nature of the stream where they are built.
In streams where the current is rapid or powerful, the dams
are built with a convex curve up-stream, which strengthens
them against the floods and the ordinary constant pressure of
the stream. In streams where the water has but little mo-
tion, the dams are built straight across ; and sometimes they
have been observed with a curve down-stream. No special
order or method is observed in building the dams, except that
the work is carried on with a regular sweep, and all the parts
are made of equal strength. They are frequently six or eight
feet high, and from ten to thirty rods in length. The trees,
resting on the bottom, are so mixed and filled in with mud,
sticks, stones, leaves, and grass, that very little water escapes^
except by running over the top ; and the height is so uniform
that the water drips evenly from one end to the other. After
the dams are built, but before they are frozen over, the Bea-
vers lay in their winter stores, which consist of the bark of
the willow, aspen, ])oplar, birch, and alder. They fell these
trees with their teeth, cut them up into short sections, and
sink them in the water near their huts. In the winter, when
their ponds are frozen over, they enter the water by the holes
at the bottom of their huts, collect these sunken trees and
take them to tlieir dwellings, as they require them for food.
The breeding season of the Beaver commences in April or

< I

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TllK TRAi'rKK'S ART.

■rr

May, niul tliey Imve from two to four yoinio; ones at a bii'fh.
The youno; remain with their ])arents for three years. In the
fourth year they start a new colony, and commence hreedini:,
the parents assistint; in bniI(liM<i; the new dam. This is ])r()h-
ably the reason why so many diuns are built one above an-
other on the same stream. Several can frequently be seen
from a sin<ile i)()int, and thev are irenerally so arranjied that
the water from one dam sets back to the next above.

The houses of the Beaver are built of the same matei'ials
as their dams. They are proportioned in size to the luimber
of their inhabitants, which seldom exceed foin* old and six or
eiffht youno; ones, thouo;h more than double that number have
sometimes been found. Hearne, in his narrative of explora-
tions in the Hudson's Bay countiy nearly a hundred years
ago, relates an instance where the Indians of his party killed
twelve old Beaver and twenty-five yonnfj and half-^rown ones
out of one house ; and it wiis inund, on examination, that
several others had escaped. 'J'his house, however, was a very
large one, and had near a doy.en apartments mider one roof,
which, with two or three excej)ti()ns, had no conmiunication
with each other, except by water, and were probably occupied
by separate families. In the spring. Beavers leave their
houses, and roam about dut'ing the summer. On their return
in the autumn, they rej)air their habitations for winter use.
This is done by covering the outside with f esh mud. This
operation is not finished until the frost has become pretty se-
yere, as by this means the surface soon freezes as hard as
stone, and prevents their great enemy, the wolverene, from
disturbing them durinjT the winter.

The food of the Beaver, beside the bark of the several kinds
of trees I have mentioned, consists chiefly, in winter, of a
large kind of root, somewhat resembling a cabbage-stalk, that
grows at the bottom of lakes and rivers. In summer, they
vary their diet by eating various kinds of herbage, and such
berries as grow near their haunts.

Beavers are found in the northern parts of America, Europe,
and Asia. They are generally supposed to belong to one spe^
cies. They are most abundant on this Continent. Within a

f II

CAPTUK1-: OF ANIMALS.

recent period, Heavers were abumlaiit in all tin; Northern,
Middle, and Western States of the Union, as the lar<2;e mini-
ber of their tlanis, and the heantiful ''beaver meadows"
cansed by the filling np of their ])ontls with alluvial matter,
sutHciently indicate. But they retire at the approach of man ;
and the gradual clearin*;- up and cultivation of the soil has
driven them nearly all from the country. In the upper and
lower provinces of Canatla, howevi'r, they are still ibund in
abundance.

There are several methods of takini;' lieavor in steel-traps.
A few ol' the most successful I will endeavor to describe.

A full-orown family of Beavers, as I have said before, con-
sists of the j)arents (male and female), their three-year-old
offsjjriiin-, the two-year-olds, and the yearlings, — four genera
tions of lour tlitferent sizes, occujn'ing one hut, and doini];
business in one pond. When a trapj)er comes upon such a
j)ond, or one that he has reason to believe is inhabited by a
large number of Beavers, his object should be to take them
all ; and, in order to do this, he must conduct his cp'M'ations
so that when one Beaver is caught it will not have opportunity
to alarm the rest ; for otherwise the whole family may leave
for parts unknown. His care should be directed therefore to
two points, namely, first, to the setting of his trajis in such a
way as to take each Beaver while alone ; and, secondly, to
arrangements tor drowning them as speedily as jjossible after
they are taken. To secure the first point, he should not set
his traps very near the dwelling of the Beavers, but should
select places at some distance up the j)ond on some ])oint or
neck of land projecting into the stream, where the anin)als will
pass and repass, but where each N\ill be most likely to be alone.
The trap should be set close to the shore, about three inches
under water, and should be carefully secreted by a covering
of some soft substance that will not interfere with its sjjring-
ing. For bait, a small portion of be.iver-castor (a milky
secretion found in glands near the testicies of the male Bea-
ver) may be left on the bank near the trap. If the trapper's
approacli was made by land, all foot-prints should be erased by
drenching with water. To secure the second point, the chain

^>l

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«6

Till-: TUAl'PKK'S ART.

. I

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of* the trap should be attached to a sHding-pole, in the manner
described on i)age 18, whicli will lead the caj)tured Beaver
into deej) water and ch'owu hini.

Beavers are sometimes taken by breaking away their dam,
two inches below the surface, in one or two places, and set-
ting traps in the breaches. They keep sentinels who examine
their dams every night, and the least break is soon detected
and put under repair ; so that, with traps jiroperly set, some
«)f the Beavers will be likely to be taken while at work at this
business. But, as the whole family is summoned out when a
breach is considered daiifferous, and as in any case several
Beavers are likely to be engaged in a work of re|)air, the cap-
ture of one is almost sure to frighten away the rest, for which
reason this method of capture should be generally discarded as
impolitic.

The surest way of taking Beaver is by trap|)ing in winter in
tiie following manner : When their ponds are frozen over,
make a hole in the ice about three feet across, near the shore
and near a hut. Cut a tree of birch, poplar, or alder, about
two inches in diameter ; ])ress the top together and shove the
whole under the ice in such a direction that the Beavers will
be likely to ])ass and repass it in going to and from their
house. The butt of the tree should be fastened at the shore
under the ice. Directly under the butt, about ten or twelve
inches below, a platform should be prepared by driving stakes
or by any other means that is convenient, on which the trap
should be set. The chain ring should be attached as before
to a dri/ sliding-pole. After the trap is set and secured, the
hole in the ice should be filled np with snow and allowed to
freeze. The Beaver, j)assing the newly cut tree and discover-
ing its freshness, will proceed toward the butt for the purpose
of securing the whole for food, and, in gnawing it off near the
shore over the trap, will be likely to be taken. The reason
why the sliding-pole should be dry is, that if it is green the
remaining Beavers will be likely to gnaw it off and take it
home with them, traj), Beaver and all, for the sake of the bark.

The Beaver is said to renew its breath, when travelling
under the ice, in the same manner as the muskrat ; and of

CAITLUK OF ANIMALS.

course mi<ilit hv cauulit at certain times in tlie wav described
on page 21.

T1!K ^VOI,F.

Tliere aie many varieties of the Wolf, and tliey are found
throiijiliont Nortli America, Europe, and Asia. Tlicy are
substantially the same in form everywheiv, but vary in color
from black tbrou<ih shades of brown, fulvous, yellow, and
^ray, to white. The most common color is <j,r;iy. They vary
in size from the ^reat \\'hite and Gray Wolves of the northern
rejiions of America to the Coyote of the western plains. They
inhabit chieHv unsettled and mountainous reiiions. Thev be-
lonrr to the same tiunilv with the doij; and fox. Thev are car-
nivorons, and combine both ferocity and cowartlice in their
character. Thou<!;h lean and <2;aunt in api)earance, they an?
fleet and jiowerful animals. They hunt mostly in packs, and
destroy great numbers of deer in the stiff snows of winter,
sometimes sIau<fhterino; whole herds in a siuiile ni<rht. The
sheepfold of the frontier farmer also suffers from their depre-
dations. They feed on almost all the smaller animals they
can overpower. Troops of them have been known to j)ursne
and attack men. When huntinjx in packs and j)ressed with
hunmn' thev are bold and exceedinijly ferocious. At other
times, when roamiui; singly, thev are sneakiuij!; and cowardlv.
The Gray Wolf of this country, which may be taken as the
standard of size, is about four feet long from the point of
the nose to the root of tlu tail ; the lenn;th of tail beinn; about
seventeen inches. In the far north thev are verv larce, some-
times measurino; six and one half feet in total leno;th, and
weighing fifty ])ounds.

In North Atnerica the leading varieties are the Gray Wolf,
the White Wolf, the Black Wolf, the Red Texan Wolf, and
the Prairie Wolf or Coyote. In South America a lied Wolf
is found in the nuiAshy districts oi' the Rio de la Plata. In
Europe there are Gray, Black, Brown, Red, and White
Wolves. The latter are confined mostly to the Northern and
Alpine regions. In Asia there are several varieties peculiar
to that Continent.

It has been supposed by some that there is a variety on this

I. :

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TMK tii\i'im:r's art.

I i

. [^

Continent wliioli should properly be called the Giant Wolf.
Old hunters say that occasionally there is seen in a pack of
Wolves one that is larger and fjceti'r than its fellows. These
aiv called '' racei's " They will I'tni down a iU'vr with ease.
Whether such Wolves form a distinct variety, or are only
over<i;rovvn individuals of the common varieties, has never
been determined.

The breedinjj; season of Wolves is in April or May, and they
have from six to ten voun<j at a time. They burrow in the
j^round or inhabit hollow lo;j;s or caves.

For capturinj; the Wolf by the steel-trap, the directions
given in the first nu'thod of takino; the fox should be followed,
except that the honey should be left out, and the clog of tho
trap should be of fifteen or twenty ])ounds" weight. The small
Prairie Wolf that is so troublesome to the western farmer can
be captured in the same way. Cai'o should always be taken
to keej) at a ])roper distance when looking after the trap, as
the Wolf's sense of smell is very acute, and enables him to
dijtect the foot-prints of the hunter with great sagacity.

The following plan for taking the Wolf is given by Peter
M. Gunter, of Ontario, Can.: "Find two trees standing
eighteen inches or two feet apart. Place the bait between
the trees, and set a trap on each side of it. The traps should
be smoked over hemlock or cedar boughs, to destroy any odo-
of iron. After being carefully set, the traps should be cov-
ered with finely powdered rotten wood. A clog of hard-wood
of about twenty pounds' weight should be fastened to the chain
of each trap. When all is arranged, rub some asafoetida on
the trees to attract the attention of the wolves. If two trees
cannot be found a suitable distance apart, lean two large logs
against a tree where you wish to set your traj)s. It is better
to use old logs, if lying about, than to make any fresh <dio!
ping."

THE BEAU.

The Bear family is very large. Its members inhabi I'arly
all parts of the globe, except Australia and the greater part
if not all, of Africa. They range through all latitudes from
the equator to the poles. The following varieties and species

■"^pi

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CAPTU'.rr OF ANIMALS.

have been described by naturalists : Polar Bear, (iriialy
Bear, Euro])ean lirown Bear, iVmerican Black Bear, Cinnu-
nion Bear, Asiatic Bear, Siberian Bear, Spectacled Bear of
South America, Thibetan liear, Bornean Bear, and Malay
Bear. The three latter are calletl Sun-Bears, from their
habit of basking in the midday rays of the sun. They are
the smallest members of the family, and live exclusively on

vegetables.

Bears dittlr from each other, in consequence of ditierences
of climate, more than almost anv other animals. Those that
inhabit the frozen wastes near the North Pole, or such
high cold ren;ions as the Rocky Mountains, are monstc. , of
strength and ferocity ; while those that inhabit warm coun-
tries are small, feeble, and inott'ensive. The extremes of the
scale are the Bornean Bear, which weighs less than one lum-
dred pounds, and the great Polar iJear, which is thirteen feet
in length, and weighs twenty-four hundred pounds. The
American Black Bear is the species with which trappers have
most to do. It is found in the western and northern ])arts of
tiie United States and in the two provinces of Canada. Its
weight when full grown is from three to six Inmdred pounds.
The Cinnamon Bear of the PaciHc coast is probably only a
variety of this species.

Bears (except the Sun-Bears) are omnivorous, feeding in-
discriminately on roots, berries, nuts, corn, oats, tlesh, fish,
and turtles. The farmer's calf-pasture, sheepfold, and hog-
pen are frequently subject to their depredations. They are
particularly fond of honey. They generally sleep through
the coldest part of the winter. They bring forth their young
in the months of May and June, and generally two at a time.
The cubs are liid in caves or hollow trees till thev aie larce
enough to follow the dam, and then ramble about with her till
the following spring.

The hunting of Bears with fire-arms, besides being objec-
tionable on account of injury to the fur, is often dangerous
business. They are very tenacious of life, and very bold and
ferocious when wounded. A Grizziy Bear, shot by Captain
Clark's party in the Rocky Mountain region, survived twenty

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THE TkAPI^kK'S All I

minutes ana swam half a inilo aftc>r receiviiio; ten balls in his
body, four of which passed throufjh his hinors and two through
liis heart ! Rt-eords of Bear-huntiujLi; are full of perilous ad-
ventures, and tlirse who engao;e in oi)en hattle with the jxreat
Grizzly Bear of the Rocky Mountains, rarely escape without
loss of life or limb. Hut steel-traps of the right size, and
properly managed, subdue these monsters with greater cer-
tainty than fire-arm:-, and without dano-er to the hunter.

In trapping for Beirs, a |)lace should be selected where
three sides of an inclosure can be secured ajjainst the entrance
of the animal, and one side left o])en. The exjierienced
hunter usually chooses a spot where one log has fallen across
another, making a pen in this sha])e >. 'J'he bait is j)laced
at the inner angle, and tlie trap at the entrance in such a sit-
uation that the Bear has to pass over it to get at the bait.
The trap shouKl be covered with moss or leaves. Some think
it best to put a suiall stick under the pan, strong enough to
prevent the smaller animals, such as the raccoon and skunk,
from springing the trap, but not so stiff as to supj)ort the
heavy foot of the Bear. The chain of the traj) should be fast-
ened to a clog. (See page 18.) 'JMie weigiit of the clog for
a Black Bear should i)e thirty po\nids ; for a Grizzly liear,
eighty pounds. The chain should not be more than eighteen
iiudies in length, as the habit of the Bear, when caught, is to
attempt to dash the tra|) in pieces against trees, logs, or rocks ;
and with a short chain, fastened to a heavy clog, he is unable
to do this. The bait should be meat, and the Bear should be
invited to the feast by the smell of honey or honey-comb, burnt
on heated stones, near the tra]). Bi'ars seem to entertain nu
susj)icion of a trap, and enter it as readily as a hog or an ox.

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THK RACCOON.

The Raccoon is allied to the liear family. It is found only
on the Western Continent, where it is re|)resented by two
species : the Common Raccoon of the United States, and tiie
Crab-eating Raccoon of the tropics. The former is sj)read
over the greater part of North Anuuica from Texas to Hud'
son's Bav. On the Pacific coast it has been seen as far north

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CAPTURE OF ANIMALS.

as sixty decrrees. The CriiU-eiitiiig species is f'ouiul Irom Cal-
ifornia and Texas to the 2r)th degree of south latitude.

The Common Raccoon is the one of principal interest to
the trapper and fur-dealer. Its body is about two feet long,
and is thick and stout like the badger's. Its head resembles
that of the fox. Its tail is about a foot long, large, and
bushy. The color of the whole is grayish white, streaked
and barred with darker colors. In some of the Western
States the Raccoon is of altogether a darker color, sometimes
approaching to black. The Raccoon is nocturnal and omnivo-
rous in its habits, and hibernates like the bear. It feeds on
nuts, green corn, eggs, mice, frogs, turtles, fish, shell-fish,
birds, &c., and frequently makes havoc in the poultry-yard.
It is an excellent swimmer, and is fond of rambling about
small streams and marshes in search of frogs, shell-fish, and
turtles. It is also a good climber, and generally lives and
rears its young in the hollow of a tree, with the entrance at
a considerable heiixht from the jrround. Its breedinjx season
is in April or Mny, and fioni four to six young are brought
forth at a time.

Raccoons are sometimes taken by secreting traps ii. ilie
paths which they make into corn-fields. Or traj)S may l/. set
by the side of streams where they resort. In this case they
should be baited with fresh fish ; or, as some prefer, with salt
cod-fish, roasted to give it a strong smell. They a.»- not very
cunning ; and with their acute sense of smell, an(f their keen
ai)petite for such provender, they rarely pass a tra| thus baited
without beiuff taken.

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THK n\nGEK.

This animal also belongs to the bear family. It is found
in America, Europe, and Asia. Four species arv. recognized :
the American Badger, the common Badger of Europe, the
Iiulian Badger, and the Anakuma Badger of .Japan. The
European species is the most inijmrtant in ihe fur-trade, fur-
nishing 53,000 out of the 55,000 skins which annually find
their way into the fur-markets.

Though spiead over a large j)ortion of the globe, the

THE TRAPPER'S ART.

Ill

Badger is nowlioiv muniTous, c'xc'e))t in a few localities on
this Continent, Jt is omnivorous, feeding chiefly on roots,
fruits, insects, and froo;s. It also destroys tlie Ciios anil voun<:
of partridges, and other birds which build their nests on the
ground. It is fond of th.e nests c.f wild bees, which it seeks
out and robs with impunity, its tough hide being comparatively
impervious to the stings of these insects. The Badger is a
(juiet, inoffensive animal, excej)! when attacked, when it is
a tcri-ible antagonist to the dog or man who comes in contact
with its sharp teeth and formidable jaws. Its length is about
two feet six inches from the nose to the root of the tail. The
tail is short. 'I'lie head is small, Hat, and has a long snout.
The lieioht at the shoulder is about eleven iiudies. The body
is broad and Hat, as though compressed. The legs arc sturdy
and j)owei'ful. The feet, befoiv and behind, have each five
toes strongly set in the flesh, and armed with jjowerful, com-
pressed claws, ada])ted to burrowing in the ground, digging
for roots, and unearthing the marnu)t, ground-scpiirrel, aiul
other small, burrowing anicnals.

The liadger ciiooscs the most solitary wooils for its resi-
dence. It li\es in burrows, where it makes its nest and rears
its young. When pursued, it commences digging in the
earth, and, if pri'ssed too closely to be able to hide by buri'ow-
ing, it nuikes a hole lai'ge enough to cover its body, backs into
it, and faces its pursuers with claws drawn in an attitude of
deflance ; and woe to the dog that attempts to dislodge it from
its fort! If it has time tv» get its body fairly buried, it is se-
cure from any dog, or even a man with a shovel, as Ii, digs so
rapidly that it will work its way into the earth faster than dog
tv man can follow.

The fur of the Badgei-, when proi)erly dressed, is said to
make the best pistol fiu'uiture, and the coarser hairs iwo used
for the i\nc brushes of the oil-painter. The hairs of the upj)er
part of the Badger's body iiulividually have thn'e distinct
colors : yellowish-white at the root, black in the middle, and
ashv-nrav at the eml. This gives a uniforni sandv-gray color
to all the upper jiarts. The tail is furnished with long, coarse
hair of the same color and quality. The throat, under pnrts,

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CAPTIIRK OF ANIMALS.

«8

and k'f^s mv covcivd with sliortor luiir ui' a iiiiilonn ck'ej>-
black.

The female Ba(l<ier hiinj;s forth from three to five voniio"
in tlie early sprinjx, suckles them f()r five or six weeks, and
then turns them off" to shift for themselves.

The American Hadj^cr differs considerahly from the Euro-
pean species, to which thi! forej^oiiijr dcscrij)tion applies. Jts
snout is less attenuated, thou<fh its head is ecjually lon<^. The
claws of its fore-fcct are much longer in proportion, and its
tail shorter. Its I'ur, both in color and (piality, is different.
It is also more carnivorous. Audubon describes its color and
fur as follows: "Hair on the back, at the roots dark-yray,
then light-yellow for two thirils its length, then black and
broadly tipped with white, givinii it in winter a hoarv-iirav
aj)pearance ; but in suuimer it makes a near aj)proach to
yellowish-brown. The eyes are bright, and j)iercing black.
.... There is a white strij)e running fioni the nose over
the forehead and along the middle of the neck to the shoul
der. Legs, blackish-brown ; chin and throat, dull-white ; the
remainder of the under surliice, yellowisli-white ; tail, yellow-
ish-brown." The fur on the back in wiutei' is three inches
long, dense and haudsonu'. The body is broad, low, anil flat.

The American Iiadg<'r i:; abundant on the plains of the buf-
falo region of Dakotah and Nebraska, and in the timberless
regions in the neighborhood of the Yakima liiver, Washiuii-
ton Territory. It is not found east of the Mississippi. It
has been traced as far iu)rth as latitude fiftv-eitiht decrees,
and south into Mexico, where a distinct variety is found.

Bady;eis can be taken bv settinir traps at the mouths of
their holes, or by the method prescril)ed on a itrecediiii: l)age
for taking the raccoon. The trap shoidd be carefully con-
cealed, as the Badger is somewhat cunning, and disposed to
be suspicious of such a}>paratus near his haunts.

THE WILD CAT OR HAY I.YNX.

The American Wild Cat is a species of lynx. It is about
thirty inches long, with a tail of five or six inches, and weighs
from seventeen to twenty pounds. Its general color above

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TIIH 'IllAI»rKUS ART.

I : )■;

and on tlic sides is ji palo reddisli brown, overlaid with gray-
ish ; tlio latter color most |)nnalent in spi'inij and snmmer.
The throat is surrounded with a ruHl' or collar of lon^ hair.
The under parts aiv lic^ht-colored and s])otted. On the sides
nre a, few ohscure dark sj)ots, and indistinct lonifitudinal lines
aloiiijj the middle of the hack. The tail is marked with a
small hlack patch ai)ove at the end, and with half rin«;s on its
upper snrfiice. The imier surllice of the ear is hlack, with
white patch. The le<fs are lon<;, the soles of tin; feet naked,
and the hind-feet are j)artially wehhed. The fur is moder-
ately full and soft. The ears have a pencil of dark hairs in
winter.

A variety of the Anu'rican Wild (\it exists west of the
Rocky Mountains, which was called liv the early settlers in
that region the Red Cat. Its color is somewhat darker than
the conunon vaiiety, heiuii; n rich chestnut-hi'own on the
back ; sides and thi-oat, a little paK'r. Fur soft and full.

The Wild Cat is cowardly, rarely attackinjr any thini; laro;cr
than a haiv or yoinir!; pin; or laini). The ])ioneer's hein'oost
st)metimes suffers from its nocturnal visitations. It feeds on
grouse, ])artrid<:es, squirrels, mici', and other small hirds and
(juadrupeds. It is fond of the dark, thick cedar swamps,
where it preys on rabbits, jiouncing on them from an over-
hanging dirt' or tree. In the Southern States, it frefjuents the
swamps and canebrakes bordering «)n rivers and lakes, and also
the briery thickets which grow up on old fields and deserted
cotton lands. In dry seasons, or durinn; the sultry weather
of summer, it explores the courses of small strc-ui/.s, iu feed
on the fish that are left in the deep holes as the water dries
up.

Wild Cats are taken in the same way as raccoons or minks,
by baiting with meat, and covering the trap smoothly over.
The best way is to find a place where they have killed a hare,
grouse, or other game, and have left a part of the flesh for a
second meal. Set your trap there, and you will be pretty
sure of a visit.

The European Wild Cat is a distinct animal from the Bay
Lynx. Goodrich, in his " Illustrated Natural History," give*

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CAPTURE OF ANIMALS.

the followintr account of this Cat ami of its relations to the
coniinon Cat : —

"There art! iiiuiiy kinds of Wild Cat, but that from whicli l[ : do-
nicstic Cat is supposed to liavi' spnuiji; is called the Common Euro-
penti Wild Cat, and is fotuul in most parts of that (piartcr of the
•^h)he, its \v(!ll as in Asia and Africa; it is also soniittinies int't with
in this eoiuitry. When America was lu'sl discovered, this specie?,
eitlier tame or wild, was not Coinid here ; all our domestic Cats, as
well as the wild ones occasionally foimd in the woods, are the de-
scendants of those l)rou;^h!. hither l»y the Kiiiopeans. Tlnr WiM Cats
of the European Continent are cither the descendants of the original
races that have contiiua;d untamed from the t)e<riiniing, or of domes-
ticated cats that have wandered from their homes, and, living apart
from man, have relap>ed into barbarism. It is said that ilm wild
and tame Cats, in their wanderings, sometones meet ; wIkmi this is
tlie case, the females of tlu! tame breed are well treated by the sav-
age- Cats. biU the males are ruihdy set upon and sometimes torn in
pieces. The wild and tame Cats souietinu's breed together, aiid pro-
duce the kind called Tiffer Cats. Some aut!ii)rs hold that the Wild
Cat is a distinct species, because; its tail is sliorter and more bushy
than that of th(! dome>tic Cat ; but this opinion seems not well
fou uled, for still greater ditferences are found in dogs which are ac-
knowledged to be of the same race,"

The European Wild Cat is cotninon in France, Germany,
Russia, Hungary, aiul some other parts of Europe, and is
found in Northern Asia and Nepaul. It was formerly found
in Enjiland, and a few vet linjfer amonj; the hills ot Scotland.
It resembles the tame Cat, hut is rather lar<«;er and more ro-
bust, and has a more savage aspect. Its fur is long, soft, and
thick. Its color is gray, daiker on the hack than below, with
a blackish stripe along the back and paler curved stripes on
the sides. It is a very shy animal ; lurks in the woods and
preys on hares, s(|uirrels, and birds, aiul is for the most part
nocturnal in its iiabits. It maki's its home in clefts anu)ng
rocks or in hollow trees. The female britms forth from three
to six voting at a time. A full-grown male is about two feet
r.i^.d a fialf long from the nose to the root of the tail ; with a
tail of considerable length. The female is smaller.

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Tin-: TRAl'I'KR'S AUT,

This Wild Cat is of ^^ivixt stivnj:;tli, atid wlic»n pursued and
iiard pressed exliil)its daring and lerocity in aii extraordinary
dey-ree. Wlien eaiiuht in a trap tliev flv without hesitation
at any person who approaches them, witliout waitinij; to bo
assailed. 'I'he dii'eetions <i;iven lor tiappinjj; the Anierifan
Wild Cat are appropriate for the ea|)tnre of this speeies. St,
John, the author of a work on " IIi!j,hland Sports," (fives the
followinjf plan for takini; tlicni : " Likt' other vermin, the
Wild Cat haunts the shores of the lakes and rivers, and it is,
therefore, easy to know where to lay a tra|) for them. Hav-
intj; eauij;ht and killed one of the eolony, the I'esr of them are
snie to he taken, if the hody oi" their slain relati\i' is lidt in
some place not far from their usual hnntin<i;-<i;ronnd, and sur-
roun<le(l with traps, as eveiy Wild Cat who passes within a
considerable distance of the pla<'e will surely e((nie to it."

Tin: l.VNX.

There are sev»>ral sj)e'v.'ie.! of Lynx. ihe Canada Lvnx
and the European I yiix are the most important to the trajiper
and fur-dealer. '!'he former inhabits N^orth America from
till' latitude of Northern Ni'w York to the nortliern lindts of
the woods, or within the Arctic Circle. It is not foinid in
the Mississip|)i Valley, but occiu's west of the Rocky Moun-
tains, and is supposed t(t I'xist in the northeastern part of Asia.
Its size is betweeii that of a fox and a wolf. Its lenn;th from
the ti|i of tiie nose to the tip ol' the tail is about tlu'ee feet.
The tail is shorter than the head, and is densely furred and
tip|>ed with black. Its teet an; lar^e, thickly covered with
fur, and aruu'd with strone- claws. The ears are pointed, not
lar^'c, and tipped witit a pencil of loni; black hairs. The
color in winter is a silver-iiray on thi' back, jialinjj; towards
the bellv, which is sometimes white. A I'ufous u;>dei'-shade
mixes with the tints. It has a rutf on tiie sides o\; tlu' neck
and under the throat. In wintei- its fur is lonjj; and silky.
The avera<re weiolit of this Lvnx is about twentv-Hve pounds.

The Canada Lynx lives in the darkest woods and swamps,
previni; on hares, mice, stpiirrels, grouse, and small'r birds,

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CAPTUltK OF ANIMAI.tj.

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it prowls about the pioneer's cabin in searcli of lambs, pigs,
and pojiltry. It is an active climber, and frequently seizes
its prey by |)ouncing upon it from an ovcrlianjfing tree ; at
other times it crawls stealtiiily like a cat within springing dis-
tance, or leaps upon it from a cliff. It ])ursues birds to the
tops of the loftiest trees, and kills Hsh in the streams. It also
feeds on carrion, and, when pressed with hunger, on its own
kind. It is said to have a strong passion for perfuuies, par-
ticularly the castoreum of the beaver. This is the principal
scent or " medicine" used by tra|)pers in capturing the Lynx.
The female brinj;^ forth m'n^^ndJv two young ones at a time,,
and hides them in hollow trees or caves till thev are lar<io
enough to lollow her.

The Canada Lynx is a stupid animal and <'asily caught. It
readily enters a trap that is ]>n»perly set and baited with meat.
The general directions already given for traj)ping various car-
nivorous animals are applicable in this case. The Hudson's
Bay Company's trapjiers practice the following method, ac-
cording to Hernard U(»gan Ross: The traj) is covered, inside
the jaws, with a well-titting '' pallet " of birch bark. On the
pallet a piece of hair skin, well ndjbed with the "■ n)edicine '*
or scent, is tied. The traj) is then placed indirti'rently either
under or on the snow. The Lynx, scenting his favorite per-
fume, endeavors to withdraw the skin with his paw, anti con-
sequently springs the trap. It does not, likt' most of the fur-
bearing animals, make violent efforts to escape, or drag the
trap to a distance ; it generally lies down until aroused by the
approach of the hunter, when, instead of attempting to escape
by flight, it springs at him.

The European Lynx closely resejubles the Canada species;
its haliits are also similar. Its fin* is valuable. Its y;eneral
color is a dull reddish gray ab<^ve, whitish below, mottled with
black. On the sides are dark oblong j»atches. In winter the
fur is longer and lighter-colored than in summer. The keen-
ness of its sight has long been proverbial. It is found from
the Pyrenees to the far North, and throuiihoiit Northeni Asia.
The directions given for trapping the Canada Lynx are suffi-
cient in the case of this species.

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THK COUfJAH OH A.MKKK "AN TANTIIKR.

This animul is t)no of tlio lar<,'('st of the cat family that
exists oil the Western Coiitiiic-nt, hciiio; rivaled only hv the
ja<j;nar. It inliahits every latitnde from Canada to Pata»,fonia,
In ditfc'ent localities it receives ditferent names and varies
somewiiat in sizi*. In the United States, east of the Rocky
Mountains, it is commonly called the Panther, and s(»metime?
the Catamonnt ; on tlic west coast it is called the California
]jion ; in South America its common name is I'uma. Cougar,
however, is the scientific and proper name. The true l^ui-
ther is confined to the Eastern Continent ; and is a variety of
the leopard, hein^ found mostly in Asia. In the north,
Coufrars prefer for their retreat ledi^es of rock inaccessihie to
man, called hy hunters panther hdift'H. They appear rarely
hy daylight, except when pressed for food, but conceal them-
selves behind rocks and fallen trees till evenini^. In South
America their favoi'ite haunts are the vast ijjrassy plains,
where they destroy oreat numbers of wild cattle.

Full jjrown Panthers kJled in northern New York have
been known to measure over eleven feet from the nose to the
tij) of the tail, beinii; about twenty-ei«j;ht inches hiuh, and
weiiihinji nearlv two hundred i)()un(ls. Their color is a red-
dish-l)i"own above, shadinn- into a lighter color underneath.
They are armed with sharp iceth and lonij, heavy claws.
They feed chiefly on de<'r, crawlino; stealthily to within
sprinp;ino- distance, or watchino; on some cliti' or tree, and
pouncinix like a cat on their |irey. Their activity enables
them to take the deer with ease. It is asserted by hunters
that each Panther destroys as many as two deer per week,
and a j)air of Panthers have; been known to attack and kill a
full-iirovvn moose. In newly «»ttled countries, tliey fre-
quentU' carry off youno; cattle and sheep. They are fjood
climbers and readily take to a tree when jiursued by dogs,,
from which they can easily be broucrht 4«nvn by the rifle.
This is the m\>st common way of takino; them. They are
cow.nrdly, and rarely attack a man unless wounded, when
tWv are dangerous.

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CArTUKE OK ANIMALS.

The best way to take Panthers with steel-traps is to find
where tliey have killed a deer or other animal, and left part
of the carcass. Secrete the trap near the remains, and you
will catch them when they retni'n for a second tneal. They
seldom leave the vicinity of an animal they have killed, till it
is all devonred. The sanie is true of all the lartfe animals of
the cat kind, such as the lion, ti<;er, leoj)ard, jaguar, &c.

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THK J.\(JU.\U.

Like the couj^ar, this is an exclusively American am'mal.
Thou<:;h scarcely etpialling the cougar in extreme length, the
Jaguar is stouter and more formitlahle. It is found from
Louisiana to Buenos Ayres. This animal has a large head, a
robust body, and is very ferocious. Its usual size is about
three fourths that of the tiger. Humboldt, however, states
that he saw Jaguars which in length surpassed that of all the
tigers of Asia which he had seen in the collections of Europe.
The Jajjuar is sometimes called the American ti<;er. Their
favorite haunts are the swamps and jungles of tropical Amer-
ica. There they subsist on monkeys, capabyras or water-
hogs, tapirs, j)eccaries, birds, turtles and turtle eggs, lizards,
fish, shell-Hsh, and insects. Emerging from these haunts into
the more open country, they prey upon deer, horses, cattle,
sheep, and farm stock. In the early days of the settlement of
South America the Jaguar was one of the greatest scourges
the settlers had to meet. Thev haunted the clearings and
j)lantations and devoured horses, cattle, and sheep without
mercy. Nor were the settlers themselves and their children
free from their attack. For many years where Jaguars
abounded the settlers had a" ivduous warfare before they
could exterminate the ferociovis marauders, or drive them
from the vicinity of their habitations.

The Jaguar is a cautious and sus|)lcious animal. It never
makes an open attack on man or beast. It api)roaclies its
prey stealthily, and pounces upon it from some hiding-place,
or some position of advantage. It will follow a herd of ani-
mals for many miles in hopes of securing a straggler; and
always chooses the hindmost animal, in order that if turned

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TIIK TKAITEIIS AKT.

upon, it may escape with its prey tlie more easily. In this
way it pursues men. A Ja<i;uar lias heeji known to follow the
track ol" ti'avellers lor days to;:eth('r, only dai-inf^ to show itself
at rare intervals. A full jfrown .lannar is an animal of enor*
mous sti'en<rtli, and will kill and dra;i<tff a horse or ox with-
out ditlieulty. They connnit vast ha\oc iinionn- the horsi-s
whieh hand to<;ether in <:;reat herds on the plains of South
America. Full i;rown colts and calves are their favorite prey.
(Joodrich, in his Natui'al llistoi-y, descrihes their operations as
follows: " Frecjnently two .la<i;uars will cond»ine to master
the more powerful hrntes. Some of them lie in wait around
the salt-licks, and attack the animals that resort to these j)laces.
Their hahit is to conct'al themselvi's h(diind some hush, or on
the trunk of a fallen tri'e : here they will lie, silent ami mo-
ti(»nless, for hours, patiently waitiuij; for their victims. When
they see a deer, or a mule, or mustane; approaching;, the eyes
dilate, the hair rises alon<;' the hack, the tail moves to and fro,
and every liml) ijuivers. When the misuspectinj; prey comes
within his ivach, the monster hounds like a thunderholt u|)on
him. He li.xcs his teeth in his neck and his claws in the loini
and thoueh the dismayed ami a^j^ravated victim Hies, and
rears, and essays to throw ott' his terrihie rider, it is all in
vain. His stren<j;th is soon exhausted, and he sinks to the
earth an easy prey to his destroyer. The .Ia<i;uar, e;rowling
and roarinij; in triumph, already tears his flesh while yet the
agonies of death are upon him. When his huni:;i'r is appeased
he covers the remains of the carcass with leaves, sticks, and
earth, to ]>rotect them from the vultures ; and either remains
watchine; near at hand or retires for a time till appetite revives,
when he returns to complete his carnival." The Ja<fuar makes
its attack upon the larger quadru[)eds by springing upon their
shoulders. Then ])lacing one paw on the back of the head
and another on the nuizzle, with a single wrench it dislocates
the neck. The smaller animals it lays dead with a stroke of
its paw.

The Jaguar in external apjjearance and in habits closely
resembles the leopard of the Old World. The female pro-
duces two at a birth. The ground color of a full-growi

CAPTimi: OF ANIMALS.

tniinal is yellow, marked with open figures of a rounded-an-
gular t'orni. In each of tliese H<^ures are one or nioro black
Bpots. The H;;ures are arran<i;ed ionjiitudinally and nearly
parallel alon^i' the hodv. The hellv is ahmist white. There
is considerable variation in color anionj^ Jaguars, some being
very dark or almost black, with indistinct markint^s. The
richly tinted skins ari' hiiihly valued, and arc; exported to
Europe in large nund)ers, when; they are used by the mili-
tary otHcers for saddle coverin<rs.

For capturing tlu* Jagnai* in steel-traps tin* directions given
for trapping the cougar should be followed.

Till-: i.ioN.

The principal habitat of the Lion is in Africa. Some also
exist in Asia, but nowhere else. There ai'e three African
Varieties — the Black, the Red or Tawny, an<l the Gray. In
Asia the dark-colored Ben<ral, the liiiht-colored I'ei'sian or
Arabian, and the Maneless Lions exist. A full-grown Lion,
in its native wilds, is usually four feet in height at the shoul-
ders, and about eleven feet long from the nose to the tip of
the tail, lie is of great strength and ferocity, and is connnonly
called the "• kinti *>f beasts." Lions belonti; to the cat family,
and prey upon all animals they can master. They approach
their i)rey stealthily, like a cat hunting a mouse, and spring
upon it unawares. Human beings are not exempt from their
attack, but form their most coveted prey when once an appe-
tite for human flesh has been established. In Africa they
iumg round the villages, and carry otf every man, woman, or
child thev can secure, and make great havoc amouir all kinds
of domestic animals. G(3rar(l, the French Lion-hunter of
North Africa, estimates that the avera";e leiijith of liie of the
Lion is thirty-Hve to forty years; and that he kills, or con-
sumes, year by year, horses, mules, horned cattle, camels,
and sheep, to the value of twelve hundred dollars. Taking
the average of his life, which is thirty-iive years, each Lion
costs tlie Arabs of that country forty-two thousand dollars.
The Lion is mostly nocturnal in its habits, hunting its prey
and satisfying its appetite during the night, and sleeping and

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THE TllAPPEK'S ART.

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digesting its food during the day. The Lioness is smaller than
the male, and brings forth from one to three } oung at a time,
ahout the beginning of the year. Lions are not numerous in
Asia, and are steadily growing less so in Africa. They are
now seldom found near the coasts of that Cor.tinent. Wher-
ever the white man appears he wages relentless warfare against
the "king of beasts." Its favorite haunts are the plains rather
than the forests, and it is content with the shelter of a few
bushes or low jungle. They sometimes hunt in troops —
several attacking a herd of zebras, or other animals, in con-
cert. Their strength is very creat, and one has been known
to carry a horse a distance of a mile from where he had killed
it. Their most common prey are the deer and antelope which
abound on the plains of Africa md in India. The zebra, the
quagga, and the buffalo are their frequent victims.

The directions already given for taking tlie cougar with the
steel-trap are adapted to the Lion. It may also be taken by
setting a trap near its haunts and baiting it with a dead sheep
or other animal. Great care must be taken to thoroughly
secrete the trap, as the Lion is a very suspicious and intelli-
gent beast. It is said that when a Lion is killed, all others
retire from and avoid that immediate vicinity. The Lion is
not a fastidious feeder. While, on the one hand, he likes to
strike down a livino; animal and suck the hot blood from its
body, on the other, he will devour any dead animal he may
find, whether fresh or otherwise. " So thoroughly is this the
case," says Wood, " that Lion-hunters are in the habit of de-
coying their mighty game by means of dead antelopes or oxen,
which they lay near some w'ater-spring, knowing well that the
Lions are sure to seize so excellent an opportunity of satis-
fying at the same time the kindred appetites of thirst and
hunger."

THE TIGER.

If the lion is the scourge of Africa, the Tiger holds that
place in India and Southern Asia. The Royal Tiger of India
rivals the lion in size, strength, ferocity, and activity, and
excels liim in beauty of form and color, and grace of move-
ment. The Tiger is of great size, measuring in the largest

CAPTURE OF ANIMALS.

specimens, four feet in height, four feet eight in'^iies in girth,
and thirteen feet six inches in total length. Its color is a
tawny yellow, with transverse, dark-colored or black stripes.
The under parts, the chest and throat, and the long tufts of
hair on each side of the face are nearly white, and the mark-
ings on these parts are indistinct. The general make of the
Tijier is a little more slender than that of the lion. Their
haunts are the forests and jungles, and they prey upon all ani-
mals which come within their reach and power. They are of
amazing strength and often bound upon thtir l)rey by a single
leap of fifty feet. The Indian buffalo, which is as large as an
ox, is killed and dragged oft' by the Tiger without difficulty.
The female has from three to ffve young at a birth, which she
defends with great fierceness. The range of the Tiger is con-
fined to Asia, and to certain districts of that Continent. Some
sections are terribly infested with them, and the inhabitants
are kept in a state of terror by their depredations. They are
common in the wilds of Hindostan, in various parts of Central
Asia, even as far north as the Amoor River, and are also
found on some of the large Asiatic Islands. Portions of
Sumatra are so infested with them as to be almost depopulated.
Here anc. in some parts of India, the Tiger is protected by
the superstition of the people, who regard it as a sacred ani-
mal, animated by the souls of their dead ancestors, and none
are killed but the '* Man-eaters."

Wood in his Natural History gives the following description
of the habits of the Tiger : —

" When seeking its prey, it never appears to em|)loy openly that
active strength wliich would seem so sure to attain its end, but
creeps stealthily lowai'ds the object, availing itself of every cover,
until it can spring upon the de.-tined victim. Like the lion, it lias
often been known to stalk an unconscious animal, crawling after
it as it moves along, and following its steps in hopes of gaining a
nearer approacli. It has even been known to stalk human beings in
this fashion, the Tiger in que.-tion being one of those terrible ani-
mals called ' Man-eaters,' on account of their destructive propen-
sities. It is said tliat there is an outward change caused in thel'igei
by the indulgence of this man-slaying habit, and that a ' Man-eaier

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can be distinguished from any otiier Tiger by the darker tint of the
skin, and a redness in the cornea of the eyes. Not even the Man-
eating Tig<:r dares an open assault, but crawls insidiously towards his
prey, preferring, as does the lion, the defenceless women and children
as the object of atiack, and leaving alone the men, who are seldom
without arms.

"The Tiger is very clever in selecting spots from whence it can
watch the approach of its intended prey, itself being couclied under
the shade of foliage or behind the screen of some friendly rock. It
is fond of lying in wait by the side of moderately frequented roads,
more particularly choosing those spots where the shade is tlie
deepest, and where water may be found at hand wherewith to
quench the thirst that it always feels when consimning its prey.
From such a point of vantage it will leap with terrible effect,
seldom making above a single spi-ing and, as a rule, always being
felt before it is seen or heard.

" It is a curious fact that the Tiger generally takes up his post on
the side of the road which is opposite his lair, so that he has no need
to turn and di-ag his prey across the road, but proceeds forward with
his acquisition to his den. Siiould the Tiger miss his leap, he gen-
erally seems hewildered and ashamed of himself, and instead of re-
turning to the spot, fur a second attempt, sneaks off discomfited from
the scene of his humiliation. The spots wiiere there is most danger
of meeting a Tiger, are the crossings of nulhihs, or the deep ravines
throuerh which the water-courses run. In these localities the Tiger
is sure to find his two essentials, cover and water. So apathetic^ are
the natives, and so audacious are the Tigers, that at some of these
crossings a man or a bullock may be carried off daily, and yet no
steps will be taken to avert the danger, with the exception of a few
amulets suspended about the person. Sometimes the Tigers seem
to take a panic, and make a general emigi'ation, leaving, without any
apparent reason, the spots which they had long infested, and making
a sudden appearance in some locality where they had but seldom be-
fore been seen

" There is a certain bushy shrub, called the korinda, which is
specially affected by the Tigers on account of the admirable cover
which its branches afford. It does not grow to any great height, but
its branches arc thickly leaved, and droop over in such a manner that
they form a dark arch of foliage, under which the animal may creep,
and so lie hidden from prying eyes, and guarded from the unwelcome
'ight and heat of the noonday sun. So fond are the Tigers of tLia

CAPTUllK OF ANIMALS.

mode of concealment that tlie hunters always direct their steps to
the korinda-husli. knowing well that if a Tiger should be in the
neighborhood, it would Ikj tolerably certain to be lying under tiiH
Bombre shade of the korinda branches."

There are a number of modes adopted by the natives of
Asia, for killing the Tio;er, such as spring-bows armed with
poisoned arrows, nets, cages with traj)-doors, enticing them
into locations wliere thev can he shot. &c. ; but they are all
inferior to the steel-trap. This instrument should be intro-
duced wherever this lurkins marauder abounds. The habit
of returning to the unfinished carcass of the beast it has slaia
or found, which I have already noticed as pertaining to the
cat family, is very strong iu the Tiger, and can be taken
advantage of in trapping them, in the same manner as de-
scribed for the lion and cougar. The trap should be set
near the hind parts of the carcass, as the Tiger always be-
gins with those j)arts and eats toward the head. They may
also be taken by setting traps along the paths which they
make through the jungle near tlieir lairs. In all ca^es the
traps should be carefully secreted. A Tiger is easily killed
with a bullet. Next to the brain and heirt, the lungs and
liver are its most mortal j)arts. A Tiger when struck by a bul-
let in the liver generally dies within fifteen or twenty minutes.
If once woiuulod anywhere they usually die, though jierhaps
not immediately. From some luikuown cause a wound on
a Tiger very soon assumes an angry appearance, becomes
tainted and the abode of inagoots, and finally |)roves fatal.
This tendency to putrefaction iti tlie Tiger, renders it neces-
sary that they should be skinned immediately after they are
killed if the ])reservation of the skin is any object. Es])eciallv
should the Tiger be removed out of the sunshine, instantly
after it is slain. A delay of ten or fifteen minutes will often
ruin the skin by the loosening of the hair from jnitrefaction.
The skin after being removed should be at once stretched, and
treated with a very strong solution <»f salt, alum, and catechu.

Several other large animals of the cat kind are found in
Asia and Africa, such as the Leo|iard. the Ounce, the Iliman-

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Diliai) or Troe-Tiirer, &c. Tlicy are all eannvorous and of
similar habits, and should be tra}>})ed on the same general
])rineiples as the tiger and cougar. Of these animals, the
Le()])ard is the most formidable and destructive. It is found
in botli Asia and Africa, but in greatest numbers in the latter
country. It is much smaller than the tiger, but of extraor-
dinary strength for its size. It does not usually attack man,
unless wounded or pursued. It is very destructive among the
herds of domestic animals, antelope, deer, and monkeys. It
is celebrated for the beauty of its skin and the agility and
grace of its movements. Its haunts are the forests where
thick, high undergrowth prevails.

THE WOLVERENE.

This animal is found throughout a large part of British
America, and in some of the wildest portions of the Northern
States. It is about three feet long from the nose to the root
of the tail, and has a tail fourteen inches in length. In gen-
eral appearance and movements it resembles the bear, while
its head bears a strong Hkeness to that of the fisher except
that the muzzle is shorter. The habits and food of the Wol-
verene are much like those of the marten. Thev hunt hares,
mice, birds, and kill disabled deer. They are powerfully
built and possess great strength. Their prevailing color is
dark brown on the back and under parts. A broad stripe of
yellowish brown sweeps along each side and ends at the root
of the tail. The legs and feet are black. Stripes and patches
of black and yellow occur on the under parts. The fur is
long, soft, and tolerably fine, overlaid with larger and coarser
liairs, which are about three inches long on the rump but
shorter in front. The Wolverene is a great mischief-maker
for the trapper in the regions where it dwells, especially the
marten-trappers of British America, who use the old-fashioned
" dead-fall." One of these animals will follow a line of trap*
for miles, tearing them down, aevounng bait and the annua.*
that liave been caught. They are also very troublesome in
destroying caches of provisions. On account of its destruc-
tive propensities, and great cunning and sagacity, the Indians

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c:ill tlio Wolverene tlie Y^\\\ One or Devil. They are seldom
cauglit in traps, and tlie most suecesst'ul way of tlestroyinj;
tliem is said to be by strychnine.

THK OPOSSUM.

This animal inlinl)its the warmer parts of tlie United States,
and several species of it are said to exist also in Australia.
In form it somewhat resembles the common house rat. Its
body is about twenty inches lono;, stoutly built, and its tail,
which is generally fifteen indies in length, is ])rehensile, like
that of some monkeys, ^. t'., capable of holding on to aiiy
thing that it encircles. The Opossum is five-toed, and walks
on the sole of its foot like the bear. Its ears are large,
rounded, and almost naked. The female has from nine to
thirteen teats, the odd one being in the centre of the ring
formed by the I'est. The fur is long, soft, and woolly, whitish
at the roots, and brown at the top. The Opossum is cmniv-
oi'ous, feeding on corn, nuts, berries, roots, insects, young
birds, eggs, mice, &c. It is nocturnal in its habits ; hiding in
the thick foliage of the trees in the daytime, and seeking its
food by night. It is an active climber, and is said to spend
much of its time and even to sleep suspended from the limb
of a tree by the tail ! The females are very prolific, producing
from nine to thirteen young at a birth, and three or even four
litters in a year. They aie provided with a pouch under the
belly, in which they protf,ct and suckle their young.

These animals are trapped in the same manner as the rac-
coon and the badger, by setting traps in their haunts, and bait-
ing with any of their favorite kinds of food. They have a
habit, when caught, of feigning death, and will bear consid-
erable torture without betraying any signs of life. This habit
doubtless gave rise to the common by-word which calls cer-
tain kinds of deceit " playing 'j)ossuni."

THK SKUNK.

This animal, though generally much despised in this coun-
try, is said to furnish the staple fur to Poland, and deserves
ut least the respectful attention of the trapper. It is related

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TilK rilAl'l'KK'S AKT.

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to tlie wcasfl. Its licad is small, with n ])rojectiji;ij, naki'd
nose, small, picrcinti; cvos, and short, romiiU'd cars. The
body is ahoiit ci^ilitcen inches h»no; ; tlie tail twelve or f'onr-
teen inches, and hnshy. The feet are short, and well adapted
to di<r<rin<!;, haviiiif naked soles and closely nnited toes with
<'Iaws. 'I'he prevailinjj; color is white and black, some varie-
ties beino; mostly white and others mostly black. The fur of
th.e latter is the niost valnable. The Sknnk walks with its
back mnch curved, and its tail erect, as though proud of its
l>eanty. It is nocturnal in its liabits, and during the sunimor
months searches the fields in the vicinity of its haunts every
night, jeeding ])rin'.'ipally on woimus, bugs, and grasshojjpers,
Ijut sometimes devouring frogs, mice, young birds, green corn,
•&C., and occasionally making free with j)onlti'y and eggs. Its
services in cleai'in<r the farmer's fields and gardens of bujjs
and worms more than pay for its depredations, and it ought to
be reijjarded as a useful animal. Its breedino; season is in
April or May. From six to nine young are brought forth at
a litter, and are reared in holes or among rocks, till they are
lar2« enouu'h to shift for themselves.

These animals are taken in traps set at the mouths of their
holes or in the fields where they search for food. The trap
should be covered with loose earth or soft vegetable substances,
and should be baited with small pieces of meat scattered
around it. They are not cunning, and require no great skill
in taking them. The great difficulty in tra])ping for them or
meddlinn; with tliem in any wav is in the liability of catchin*;
a charge of their perfumery, which is very disagreeable, and
ruins all clothing that is once imi)regnated with it. This
offensive essence is ejected from two glands near the anus by
the contraction of the muscular coverings, and the only way
that I know to prevent the discharge is to approach the animal
in the traj) stealthily, and give it a smart Wow with a club
across the back near the tail, which wil! paralyze the ejecting
muscles. But this expedient is not always available, as the
animal sometimes takes the trap for a living enemy and dis-
charges when first taken. One thing, however, is in its favor,
namely, it is very neat in its personal habits, rarely allowing

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("Al'Tl'UK OF ANIMALS.

Its own fur to bo soiled with its »)tfonsive sofretioiis ; so tliat
A' you can j^et away its skin without l)i'in^ ovfrwhehnod your-
self by its |)erfuinery, yoiu" spoil is. likely Ut be as clean and
saleable as in the case of any other animal.

[We are indebted to an old Connecticut trapper, ISIr II.
Mansfield, for the followinj; valual)le addition to Mr. New-
liouse's article on the Skunk. — HniTORf^.]

" In summer. Skunks ean be taken in j^reat iiuiiibeis by the follow-
ing int'tliod : Find a pluce where they travel from their holes to a
heii-eoop or through u corii-tield. Make a patli for them by trcuil-
ing down the grass, and set up sticks along on eaeli side to guide tlurii
more surely. Set traps at intervals, and strew pieces of meiit or
dead mice before and behind each trap. A whole family of Skunks
will walk down this path, the old ones heading the procea:-i"ii ; and
as one after another is caught, those behind will eliml) over and
pass on, till all are taken. I have caught in this wa' (wo oM ones
and eight young ones in one path on a single evening. They -eld >ii)
discharge when first caught ; and can b<; prevented from doinu so at
all, either by a t)low on the back, or by boldly seiidng the parts
where I'.e offensive secretion lies with one hand, and piercing the
thro.at with a knife in the other.

" In winter my method is to track them to their holes and dig
them out. They are obliged to go to some stream for water every
day, and when there is snow, they can easily be tracked back to
their burrows. In digging them out, I prevent them from using
their terrible weapon by carefully uncovering otdy one at a time,
and only the head of each at first, filling in and even 'tamping'
the dirt around the body, till I can despatch them in succession by
opening the jugular vein.

" The surest way to take Skunks without bad consequences is by
the snare and spring-pole.

" With all the precaution that can be taken, the trapper's clothes
will sometimes be sprinkled ; and there will be more or less scent
jibout the skins. The best way to cleanse articles in this condition
\% to hold them over a fire of red-cedar boughs, and afterwards
•nrinkle them with chloride of lime."

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THE COYPU RA'l".

The Coypu Rat, or Racoonda, as it is sometimes called,
f'urnisiies the fur known in coimnerce as Nutria. But one
species is known, wliich is a native of South America, and is
found in sreat numbers in the La Phita reo-ion In geneial
aj)pearance and character it resembles tiie beaver. Its taJ,
however, instead of being flattened, is long, round, and rat-
like. Its favorite haunts are the lagoons of the plains or

pampas,

and the banks of rivers and streams. Its fur is

short, fine, silky, similar to that of the beaver, and light
brown in color. Overlvinn; the fur are Ion"; hairs of a brown-
ish yellow color. The fur is heaviest and best on the belly.
It is used for the same ])urpose as that of the beaver, in the
manufacture of hats and caps. The Coypu is about two feet
lon<i exclusive of tail, which is about fifteen inches in lencrth.
It is very j^rolific, the I'emale producing six or seven at a birth.
They feed on vegetables, are quite gentle in their character,
and easily tamed. They inhabit South America on both sides
of the Andes: on the east;, i'rom Peru to foi'ty-three degrees
south latitude ; on the west, from Central Chili to Terra del
Fuego. Thev are also found in the small bavs and channels
of the archipelagos along the coast. They are burrowing
animals, and form their habitations in the banks of lakes and
streams. They are nocturnal in their habits, and seem to be
"qually at home in fresh or salt water.

The Coyi>u is usually huntetl with dogs, and is easily cap-
tured. It is, however, a bold animal, and fights fiercely with
the dog employed in pursuing it. We cannot learn that any
attempt has been made to take them by the steel-trap, but
this would no doubt prove the best and easiest method of cap-
ture. Their habits resemble those of the beaver and muskrat,
and they should be traj)ped on the same general principles.
Great numbers of the skins of this animal are annually ex-
ported. In some seasons the number has been over three
millions, constituting an imijortant branch of the fur-trade.

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CAPIURE OF A^'IMALS.

THK CHINCHILLA.

Tlje most delicate and silken of all furs is that produced by
the Chinchilla. This animal is found in South America, alonor
the Andean region from Chili to Peru. It burrows in the
valleys which intersect the hilly sloj)es, and col'ects together in
great numbers in certain favored localities. It belongs to the
group of animals called Jerboidce, which are characterized by
great comparative length of the hind legs. It is a small
animal, measuring only about fourteen or fifteen inches in
total length, of which the tail forms about one third. They
are very prolific, the female bringing forth five or six twice a
year. Their food is exclusively vegetable, consisting mostly
of bulbous roots. They are very cleanly in all their habits.
The fur of the Chinchilla is long ; its color is a delicate clear
gray upon the back, softening into a grayish white on the
under portions ; and its texture is wonderfully soft and fine.
It is used for muffs, tippets, linings to cloaks and pelisses, and
trimmings. The skins which are obtained in Chili are the
best. Great numbers of Chinchillas are caught in the vicinity
of Coquimbo and Copiapo. They are usually hunted with
dogs by boys. The true method is to take them at the mouth
of their burrows with a small steel rat-trap.

THE SQUIRREL.

The American varieties of the Squirrel do not produce fur
of much value, and are of little importance in the fui'-trade.
They are generally taken only for food or as nuisances. The
European variety, however, is much more valuable, and its
skins are brought into the fur-markets of Europe by the mill-
ion. They are spread over all the north of Europe and Asia.
Those of Russia and Siberia produce the fitiest and hand-
6omest fur. This kind is a small Squirrel with tufted ears
and a beautiful gray coat.

For taking Squirrels, the trap should be set on the top rail
of a fence near a wood that they frequent. A pole, with an
ear of corn or some other favorite squirrel-food fastened to
the end of it, should be set up by the side of the fence, lean

! 1 I 'iJ

THE TKArPKllS ART.

11^

;}

ing in such a position as to bring the ijait over tlie trap at the
heiffht of six or ciixht inches. In reaching for tlie bait the
Squinx'l gots into the ti'ap.

To give a complete view of the business of trapping, sev«
eral less valuable animals should be briefly noticed, not as fur-
bearing, but as legitimate subjects of the trapper's art.

THK WOODCHUCK OH MARMOT.

Marmots are burrowing animals. There are a number of
species, and they are found on both Continents. In this
country, they are commonly called Woodchucks. The cu-
rious Prairie Dog of the Western plains is allied to the iMar-
mot. This latter animal lives in villages from a few acres to
several miles in extent, in the country bordering on the
Arkansas and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries. The
entrance to their burrows is in the summit or side of a small
mound of eartli, somewhat elevated, but seldom more than
eighteen inches high. In ])leasant weather, they may be seen
sporting about the entrance of their burrows ; and five or six
individuals may be sometimes seen sittino- on a single mound.
They make a noise somewhat like the barking of a dog,
whence their name, Prairie Dog. When alarmed, thev I'e-
treat at once into their holes. The skin of the common
Woodchuck is valuable for whip-lashes, and its fur even is
not despised by rustics. All kinds of Marmots may be taken
by setting steel-traps, completely covered and without bait, at
the mouth of their holes.

THE GOPHER.

This animal, called also the Canada Pouched Rat, inhabits
the prairie region west of the Mississippi. It is a burrowing
animal, and lives on roots and vegetables. Its body is firmly
built, about nine inches long, with a short tail and legs, the
latter armed with long claws for digging. The head and neck
are relatively large, and the mouth has four broad long ni-
cisors, two on each jaw, adapted to cutting roots. On the
sides of the face and neck, extending back to the shoulders,

ly
lie
]k
li-

is.

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I-

5i ■■

i m

CAPTURK OF ANIMALS.

are large |)ouclios, in wliicli to cariv earth, food, &c. The
Gopher dios paths or galleries of an oval form, several inches
in diameter, a short distance below the snrface, coming to tho
snrface once in about a rod, where the excavateil earth is de-
posited in little hillocks. These galleries ramily in all direc-
tions. When the animal has brought to the surface in one
place as much earth as its sense of economy dictates, it closes
up the hole, and begins a new deposit further on, so that noth-

lift

The Goplier and its Burrow.

1 i

i t

ing remains but a neat little mound of earth, larjje enoufrh to
fill a half bushel, more or less. Gophers are great pests to
the western farniers, injuring and destroying the roots of their
crops, and infesting their Helds and gardens. They may be
trapped in the following manner : Carefully cut away a
square section of sod on a line between tlie two most recent
deposits. On finding tlie gallery, excavate down till a trap
will set on a level with the bottom of the passage. Place the
trap there ; then lay a piece of board or shingle across the ex-

t ;■

THE TiiAPPEirs Aur.

cavation, just above the passat^e, and replace the sod. Th»
Goplier while at work will run into the trap and be taken.

THE RAT.

This j)est of all countries may be taken in any or all of the
following ways : 1. Set your trap in a pan of njeal or bran j
cover it with meal and set the pan near the run-ways of the
Rats ; or, 2, set the trap in a path at the mouth of a Rat's hole,
with a piece of thin brown pa])er or doth spread smoothly
over it ; or, 3, make a run-way for the Rats by placing a box,
barrel, or board near a wall, leaving room for them to pass,
and set the trap in the passage, covered as before. In all
cases, the trap should be thoroughly smoked over a fire or
heated over a stove before it is set, and at every re-setting ;
but care should be taken not to overheat the trap so as to
draw the temper of the spring. Also the position of the trap
should be irequently changed.

To conclude these instructions for capturing animals, I will
introduce the trapper to one or two of a larger and nobler
family, which he will find well worthy of his attention, not
tor their skins or furs (though these are valuable), but for
their flesh, which, in his more distant and adventurous excur-
sions, will often be the only resource of his commissariat.
The soldier must look out, not only for his means of fighting,
but for his means of living — for his larder as well as for his
enemy — and haj)pily I can show the soldiers of the trap how
to supply themselves with food by the same weapons that they
use in taking animals for their furs.

THE DEER.

This family of ruminating animals embraces a great variety
of species, ranging in size from the Pigmy Musk-Deer of Java,
which is not larger than a hare and weighs only five or six
pounds, to the gigantic Moose-Deer of America, whose height
is seven or eight feet and Its weight twelve hundred pcv.nds.
But the species with which American trappers are most prac-
tically concerned, are the common Red or Virginia Deer, and

i:.

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ill

i i

: !,

CAlTriU: OF AMMAI.S.

thr) lilack-'ruilcil Deer of tlu; region west of tlic Missis-
sippi. 'I'lit'so spt'cii's (lirti'i- l)nt littlo in liiil)its and j^ciK'nl
;'liara('tt'i'istics, and a di'Sfri|)ti(»n of tlic Virniiiia Dcci- is snt-
ticii'iit lor the purposes ot" tlu; trapper. The Vii;j,iiiia Deer
ai'e i'o''.iid in nearly all the States of the Union east of the
Rocky Monntains, and abound in Ixtth pr(»vinees of ( 'anada.
They are ;free;ari()ns in their l.ahits, th(tn;:;li frefjuently seen
alone. Their food in sninnier consists of twi^s, orass, berries,
nuts, roots, acorns, persimmons, iVe., and at that seiison tlu'V
frequent rivers and lakes to {'vvA on water-plants, as well as
for the purpose ot" freeiiiii; themselves from insect pests.
They are also fond of visiting; tlii> pioneer's clearinLj and
approjiriatine; his wlu'at, corn, oats, |)()tatoes, tnrni|)S and cab-
l)a^es. In winter they retire to the elevated rid<ies, where
maple and ' '. r hard-wood trees alxaind, the bark, twi<fs
and branch( <M' wdiich aiv at that season their chief support.
They form "yards" by tramplinui; down tlu; deep snows, and
live tooether in lar<re herds, inunberin;;' sometimes thirty ani-
mals in a siuiile '' vard." Thest' inclosures are enlarired
from time to time as the Deer re(juire more trees for browsint;.
Wolves and ])anthers are their most fornndable enemies — al-
ways exce])tin<j; man. Packs of wolves frecpiently attack
them in their '"yards," aiul sometinies when the snow is
deep and crusted over, whole herds are destroyed. Wolves
sometimes pursue a siniiie Deer with the '■" loim- eliase." ]\\
summer a Deer thus pursued generally takes to the water,
and so baffles his pursuers ; but in winter when the streams
and lakes are frozen over, he rarely escapes. Pantliers take
Deer by crawling within si)rinn;inn; distance of them in tluir
"yards'' or elsewhere, or by watcliino; and pouncing on them
from some cliff or tree, as they pass below.

The methods by which men take Deer ai"e various. They
are sometimes driven by doy-s into rivers or lakes, and are
then overtaken and dispatched by the hunter in his canoe. A
favorite method is to shoot them at night at the j)laces by the
water-side, where they I'esort to feed on aquatic plants and re-
lieve themselves of insects. For this pur|)ose the hunter pre-
pares himself with a boat, gun, and lamp. The light is set on

I '■

1,1

Jiii

•in

TIIH I'liAI'I'llK'S ART,

the l)o\v o\' ;li(> lioMt, so ili.ii ii will sliiiic mi the (orwiird sight
(.r the ^un. :m<l ;»l llu- yAuw time coiict'al }tv its glaro the liun-
t(>r cvoiifhini: hohiiid. \\'ilh nmllh'd oar tho l)()!it approaches
the oaine. The n'Meeled jiU'ains tVotu the eyes of the Deer l)e-
tray his position to tln' h\iiit(M'. It' no noise is made the victim
will stand ami ^aze at the lioiit until it is within a lew Aards,
and so ni\t> a sure epportnniiy tor tiie fatal shot. Manv are
taken in this way in the I'ai'ly antninn ; and later in the sea-
son, wluMi snow first (-(tnies, many moi-e ai'e taken hv tlu> '* still
hunt."" either hy lollowino; on their trail, oi' hv watehinu; at
their run-ways.

■rill', Modsi;.

This is tlu> larn'cst kind of diH-r, and its hahits an* in tnanv
rospeiMs like those ot' the eonnnon deer. It is more eonlined,
hewi^viM', to tilt' snowy regions of the North. It is i'oniul
thi'cmuhmil the i:reafer part of British America, ranjj;in!j; as
t'ar nortii as the Arctic Sea. In the Utiited Statics, it is found
in Maine. Northei-n New York, Orciion. and Washini2;tou
Territorv. On the I'asttMn Continent, it is fountl thron<ji,hout
tlie northern parts oC Eui'0]te and Asia. Its t'avorite haunts
are the hard-wood lands. In utMicral color, it is yellowish-
brown or ashv-iiray. The hair in summer is short and soft,
and lon<; and I'oarst' in winter. 'Idie I'ldl-jjjnnvn i\[i)ose weighs
from cioht lumdred to tifti>en hundred jionnds, and statuls
seven and even eiolit teet hiiih. Its horns have an expanso
of nearlv six teet between the tips, and a palm or spade on
oaoli, oi' a toot in width, and wei^li trom forty-five to seventy
pounds. I'nder 'he threat ot' both sexes tliere is a tuft of
coarse, bristlv hair, a foot or uu>re in leuiith, attached to a
stut o( dewlap. The breedino- season of the Mctose is in May.
At the tirst birth, but a single one is broujiht forth , after-
wards two are brouiiht lorth annually. jNIoose, like the com-
mon deer, frequent rivers and lakes in summer, to feed on the
roots of the water-lily and other aquatic plants ; and retire in
winter to the hiiih ridges, to browse on the twigs of the striped
maple and birch. Their height enables them to crop the
overhanging branches of large trees ; and their weight and
^treuixth enable them to bend down small trees and slide over

^■■'i'

: |p:

■ Hi'

1 "S-^ 1

S'S'l

1 '

J f

' d •

\ %

!■

n ^

CAPTURE OF AMMALS.

tliem with their ImkUos, strippiiiii; tlie bark and twigs to tlie
very extremities. Like the common deer, they form "yards"
by treading down the snows, and enlarge them as fast as tliey
Btri,) the trees and reqnire more. In these "yards" there are
commonly found a male, female, and two fawns.

Moose are taken in winter by the ''long cliase " on snow-
shoes, and in summf.'r they are shot at their feeding-places in
marshes. They are, however, very wary and timid ; and
their sense of smelling is so acute that the greatest caution
is necessary on the part of the hunter in a])j)roaching them.
The males in the rutting season are very dangerous, and will
attnck, and if possible kill, any persons who approach thejn.

The flesh of the Moose is much esteemed by hunters and
trappei's, being generally j)referred to that of the common
deer. The marrow in the lurge bones is an excellent substi
tute for btitler.

f I

'HI'-

SOME NEW BRUNSWICK TRAPS.

DEAD-FALI, FOR BF.AUS.

The trap here shown is a (lead-full for bears, as built
by trappers on the Tobique River, New Brunswick, in tlie
following nianner :

Stout stakes, standing four or five feet high, are driven close
together in the fo)m of a pen about three feet wide, rather
deeper, and open in front. Tlio first piiir of stakes, however,
upon each side, are a foot or more taller than the others and
stand eight or nine inches apart. Two or three short logs, for
a "bed-piece," eight or nine inches in diameter, are laid one
above the other upon the ground, across the front of the pen,
between the pairs of front stakes. Then a spruce, or fir log,
about the same thickness at the butt as the "bed-j^iece," and
over twenty feet long, is cut for a "fall." The larger end is
laid lengthwise upon the bed-piece and the smaller end is, if
nerossary, elevated upon a log to make it level. The ui)per
ends of each pair of front stakes are tied together with a withe
to prevent spreading.

Next a stake, a, four or five inches thick and three feet high^
is driven into the ground close beside the bed-piece at one side
of the pen, inside. About eight inches from the rear wall of
the pen two short stakes are driven, a foot apart, each with a
fork at the upper end pointing downward and forward. Then
are cut a stick, b, two and a half or three feet long flattened at
one end ; and another, c, three feet long, having a square notch
near each end but on opposite sides of the stick. When the
trap is set, the stick b is laid across the top of the post a and
the fall rests upon the projecting end of the stick, which is held
■horizontal. Upon the other end of this stick is suspended, by

. ':

iHi

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ii '

^ Wt

' 11

: 1

) !

THE TRAPPEIt'S ART.

iiienns of the notch, tlio Ktkk v. Tlio notch jit tho lower end of
the. stick c is caught on the under side of a square stick on a
foot log that is placed horizontally under the pair of in verted
forks. Thus the weight of tho "fall" upon one end of tho stick
h causes, through the series of connected triggers, an upward
pressure upon the forked pegs. The bait, a piece of smoked
coilfi.sh, is tied close to the lower end of the stick c (known as a
"bait-stick'')- The bear enters the trap about half way and
with a slight pull at the bait releases tho lower end of the bait-
stick, which Hies upward, as the fall drops down across the ani-
mal's back. , The fall is heavily loaded with logs laid upon it.

In the construction of this trap, only the oldest matevials
should be used. There should be, if possible, no new axe-work
in the neighborhood, and tho older a trap can be, consistently
with strength, tho bettei-. Often the trap is all "brushed over'
lo conceal the nature thereof and allay suspicion.

i)i;ai)-f.\ll fou fisheu.

The iisher trap was sketched on the Tobique Eiver, N. B-
The one shown in the illustration is a characteristic one, A
hollow spruce two feet in diameter had blown down, leaving a
tall, ragged stump. With an axe an opening was made in the
side of the stump about three feet from the ground. Instead o'
making a clean cut across the stump (as if the tree were being
felled) a thin section was left standing in tho middle. If this front
post cannot be left in this manner, a separate stake needs to be
driven instead. Inside the post there is just space for a bed
piece, two inches thick, three inches wide and over two feet long,
to be laid on edge across the front of the opening. Next Avas cut
a "fall," of fir, four inches thick and fifteen feet long. The large
end is shaved down to the same thickness as the "bed-piece" and
laid upon the top thereof. The other end of the "fall" rests
upon the ground, as tho stump stands upon a hillside, but
generally a forked stick is necessary to hold the pole in a hori-
zontal position. The manner of the setting of not only this,
but i;'l *hrj smaller dead-falls is with the "standard" and "bait-
■ 1) .. '.'-.td of the "figured"

T' cv \isra the "standard" is a stick | inch thick and 5 or 6
/. ', • The "bait-stick" is nine inches (or longer) and over

whittled flat at one end, but with a fork at the

ilxCf

i.)

i! !

THE TRAPPER'S ART.

other. The bait, a fowl's head, a piece of squirrel, etc., is im-
paled upon this fork and securely tied there with string or
cedar bark. The "fall" is then raised several inches, the "bait-
stick" is thrust into the interior of the stump, with the flat end
resting upon the "bed-piece," the "standard" is set upright
upon the flat end of the 'bait-stick" and the "fall" is lowered
until it rests upon the upper end of the "standard." Now the
trap is set ; but the "bait-stick" must be so delicately balanced
that it will not spring of its own accord, yet will yield to a
slight tug at the bait. These sticks are set up in the middle
of the opening, close to the post. A large sheet of bark was

ToBiQUE River Dead-Fall.

laid across the top of the trap for a covering and poles were
placed upon the "fall" to weigh it down.

Traps for black cat are built also after the manner of the
sable trap, afterward described, although they are, of course,
larger.

TOBIQUE RIVER DEAD-FALL. ^

As is well known, the fisher is often very destructive to
sable and mink traps. These animals either spring the trap
and eat the bait, or else devour sable that are captured. In a
region where the black-cats are plentiful, it will be observed,
when following a "line" of traps, that every other trap, or sev-
eral consecutive traps, are built somewhat larger than the others,

SOME NEW BRUNSWICK TRAPS.

yet not too big to capture sable also. But it sometimes happens
that the black-cat refuses to enter the larger trap built for him,
so •whenever a suitable chance is afiforded, an ingenious con-
trivance is built for the cunning animal, like the following,
which was used on the headwaters of the Tobique Kiver :

A spruce stump, higher than one's head, had been left
standing after some gale had broken the top o1S. A few blows
with an axe completed the work which the storm began, and
the stump was split down nearly its whole length. Two spruce
poles, live inches thick and fifteen feet long, hud been cut, and
the butts of each hewed somewhat flat. One of them was
forced down into the split stump to within four feet of tlie
ground, the small end resting upon the ground. The other pole
was laid up on top of the first one. Then at a point about
three feet distant from the stump, the ordinary "standard" and
"bait-stick" were set up between the two poles, the "bait-stick"
pointing out at right angles. Over the triggers a handful of
flat fir boughs had been placed, balanced upon the upper pole,
and to keep it in place a short pole was laid up on top of it, as
shown in the illustration. The bait cannot be reached from the
ground, and the roof of boughs prevents its being taken from
overhead ; so in order to get at the bait at all, it is necessary
for the animal to crawl down upon the under pole. He is thus
between the two poles, and when he seizes the end of the "bait-
stick," the upper pole (which should be weighted) falls upon
him. This is by no means a common ti-ap.

DEAD- FALL FOR SABLE.

Dead-falls for sable exist in endless variety of detail, built
on logs or low stumps for early fall trapping, and upon stumps
seven feet high, cut for the purpose, in the spring when the
snow is deeper. Indeed, traj) after trap may be seen on
some old "lines" that are set upon stumps which (when the
ground is bare) stand a foot higher than a tall man's head, and
as the traps are built low the depth of the snow there can be
imagined.

Slabs of wood from eight inches to one foot high, sharpened
like wedges, are driven i"to the fiat top of a smooth-cut stump.
It is either cut V-shaped, or like the three sides of a square.
In front of the opening a post stands. By a clever way of

THE TUAIM'EU'S AllF.

! n i

chopping Ibo ])()8t cmi be left stiindiDg us a put of tlio stump
whenever ii Ireo inust bo felleil. If tlie post cannot be left us
shown in the illiistrution, u sharpened stake must be driven in
sepurule. In the trup shown in tlie ilhistration, space enough
ranst bo k'ft between the post und the "house" for a short,
somewhat tliree-cornered, stick about an inch thick, to be laid
between tliem for a '•l)ed piece."' The "fall," which may vary
from ei<^ht to fifteen fe«t in length and from three to five inches
thick, was about the average size. The big end of the "f«,U"

"^-

^^\

Dead-Fall fok Sable.

was hewed to the same thickness (or less) as the 'bed piece"
upon which it rests. The other end was also somewhat thinned
to fit into the forked stump of a sapling that grew conveniently
near and served to keep the pole level. Fir boughs serve as a
roof to the "house" (or a few chips may be laid upon it). The
"standard" is only three inches long and the "bait-stick" is
eight inches long. Otherwise the triggers are like those of the
fisher trap, and set in the same way. A piece of trout is re-
garded as the best bait, though sraoked herring, fresh squirrel
meat or a partridge's head will be taken.

SOME NEW BUrN'SWKK THAPS.

OTTKU OK hi:avi;u thaI'.

The trap sliown in the illustratiou was built for otter on the
Tobique llivor, Now Brunswick, Similar ones are set for
be iver. Such traps as these are not baited, but built acroBs
the ".slide" of an otter or road of a beaver, and are meant to be
sprung as tlje animal passes through. Built upon the ground
they can be used only in the early winter and in the spring
when the snow is going oft". The otter is a shy animal and is
apt to notice any disturbances in the neighborhood of its
haunts, so these traps are built, whenever jiossible, in the early

'I;

• Caoo.^.<- - «*^'"<-

^iniiL

- "U/-^"

lO"*''

Otteu or Beaver Trap.

fall, so as to be old looking and weather worn when the time
for trapping arrives. The diagram explains its construction.
The upright stakes stand a little over two feet high, on opposite
sides of the otter "slide." The upper ends are tied together
with a withe, and a stick about an inch thick is laid across the
top. A short three inch pole serves as a "bed piece." The
"fall ' is fastened to the projecting end, into the notch cut for it.
The other end of the "crooked stick," which is made flat, is
pushed downward until it points straight toward the ground.
It should full short by several inches of reaching to the "bed

I i ■ * ■'
\ I 1 ^

THE TRAPPER'S ART

piece." The "fall" should now lie Buspended about nineincheB
above the "bed piece." The loose end of the "trigger" is then
raised up far enough for the flat end of the "crooked stick" to
catch behind it. T)ie trap is now set. Then brush should be
carelessly thrown at either side of the path to insure the pas-
sage of the animal, or one or two stakes may be driven around,
an shown in the illuslrntion. The otter in passing through de-
presses the "trigger ;" the "crooked stick" is released and flie»
upward, and the "fall" drops upon its back.

III. CURING SKINS.

ilowEVKK successful a trapper may be in taking animals,
he will not secure a full reward for his labor unless he knows
how to take care of their skins, and |)repare them for market
in such a manner that they will conunand the highest prices.
As skins that have been riddled with shot find little favor with
fur-dealers, so skiiis that have been cut in stripping oft', or that
are encumbered with remnants of flesh, or that have passed
into a state of incij)ient putretiiction before drying, or that
have not been properly stretched, or that have been dried too
fast, or that have been neglected and exposed after being
cured, are very sure to be thrown out by the I'ur-inspector as
second or third rate skins, deserving only poor prices. Great
quantities of valuable furs, taken by boys and inexperienced
trappers, are rendered almost worthless by bad treatment in
some of the processes of preservation. I shall give such in-
tbrmation on this part of the trapper's business as I have ob-
tained, both from my own experience and from conversation
with fur-dealers.

GKNKKAL RULKS.

1. Be careful to visit your traps often enough, so that the
skins will not have time to get tainted.

2. As soon as j)ossible after an animal is dead and dry,
attend to the skinning and curinj;.

3. Scrape oft' all superfluous flesh and fat, but be careful
not to go so deep as to cut the fibre of the skin.

4. Never dry a skin by the fire or in the sun, but in a cool,
shady place, sheltered from rain. If you use a barn door for
a stretcher (as boys sometimes do), nail the skin on the inside
of the door.

6. Never use "preparations" of any kind in curing skins,
nor even wash them in water, but simply stretch and dry
them as they are taken from the animal.

THE TRAPi'Eirs Airr

ST II ET CUING SKI N S .

In drviiii;' skins, it is important that tliev sliould be stretdicci
tin-lit, like a strained (Iruin-lit'ad. This can be done after a
fashion bv simply nailmi!; them llat on a wide board or a barn
door. But this method, besides beiiiu' uni)i"acticable on the
lar"-e scale in the woods (where most skins have to be cuied ),
is objectionable because it exposes only one side of the pelt tn
the air. The stretchers that are o;enerally aj)proved and used
by jfood trapi)ers are of three kinds, adai)te(l to
the skins of dilferent classes of animals. I shall
call them the hoard-stretcher, the huiv-stretclur,
and the hoop-stretcher, and will describe them,
indicating the ditlerent animals to which each is
adapted.

Tin; liOAKD-srinriciiKU.

This contrivance is made in the Ibllowinij; man-
ner : Prepare a board of l)ass-wood or other light
material, two feet three inches long, three inches
and a half widi' at one end. and two inches and
an eighth at the other, and thiee eighths of an
inch thick. Cluunfer it i'rom the centre to the
sides almost to an edge. Round and chamfei' the
small end al)out an inch up on the sides. 8|)lit
this board through the centre with a knife or saw.
Finally, ])repare a wedge of the same length and
thickness, one inch wide at tlu' large end, and
taneriuii' to tiu'ee eiiihths of an inch at the small
end, to be driven between the halves of the
board. This is a stretcher suitable for a miid<
^ or a marten. Two larger sizes, with similar pro-
i porti s, are required for the larger animals. The
la.gesi, siw, suitable for the full-grown otter or
wolf, should be five feet and a half long, seven
inches wide at the large end when fully s])read
by the wedge, and six inches at the small end.
Board-Stretcher. All intermediate size is required for the fisher,
raccoon, fox, and some other animals, the proportions of which
can be easily figured out.

Moose- Yaki).

iii

CURING SKINS.

These stretchers require that the skin of tlie animal sliould
not be ripped tlirouorh the belly, but should be stripped off
whole. This is done in the followino; manner : Commence
with the knife at the hind-feet, and slit down to the vent.
Cut around the vent, and strip the skin from the bone of the
tail with the help of the thumb-nail or a split stick. Make
no other slits in the skin, except in the case of the otter,
whose tail requires to be split, spread, and tacked on to the
board. Peel the skin from the body by drawing it over itself,
leaving the fur-side inward. In this condition the skin should
be drawn on to the s|)lit board (with the back on one side and
the belly on the other) to its utmost length, and fiistened with
tacks or by notches cut in the edge of the board, and then the
wedge should be driven between the two halves. Finally,
make all fast by a tack at the root of the tail, and another on
the opj)osite side. The skin is then stretched to its utmost
capacity, as a boot-leg is stretched by the shoemaker's " tree,"
and it may be hung away in the proper place, by a hole in
one end of the stretcher, and left to dry.

A modification of this kind of stretcher, often used in cur-
ing the skins of the muskrat and other small animals, is a
simple board, without split or wedge, three sixteenths of an
inch thick, twenty inches long, six inches wide at the large
end, and tapering to five and a half inches at six inches from
the small end, chamfered and rounded as in the other cases.

MiiskiiU-Stretclier.

The animal should be skinned as before directed, and the skin
drawn tightly on to the board, and fastened with about foui
tacks. Sets of these boards, sufficient for a muskrat cam-
paign, can easily be made and transported. They are very
light and take up but little room in packing, thirty-two of
them making but six inches in thickness.

THE TllAPPKirS AUT.

r. I

THE BOW-STRETCHER.

Tlie most common way of ti'eatino; llie muskrat is to cut
off its feet with a liatcliot; and rip with a knife from between
tlie two teeth in the lower jaw, down the bellv, about two
inches bek)w where the fore-legs come out. Then the skin
is started by cnttinrj around the lips, eyes, and ears, and is
stripped over the body, with the fur-side inward. Finally a
stick of birch, water-beech, iron- wood, hickory, or elm, an
inch in diameter at the butt, and three feet and a half long, is
bent into the shape of an ox-bow and shoved into the skin,
which is drawn tight, and fastened by splitting down a sliver
in the bow, and drawing the skin of the lip into it.

This method is too common to be easily abolished, and is
tolerable when circumstances make it necessary ; but the for-
mer method of stretching by a tapering board, in the case of
muskrats as well as other small animals, is much the best.
Skins treated in that way keep their pro,/er shape, and pack
better than those stretched on bows, and in the lonjx run
boards are more economical than bows, as a set of them can
be used many times, and will last several years ; whereas bows
are seldom used more than once, being generally broken in
taking out.

THE HOOP-STRETCIIER.

The skins of large animals, such as the beaver and the bear,
are best dried by spreading them, at full size, in a hoop. For
this purpose, a stick of hickory or other flexible wood should
be cut, long enough to entirely surround the skin when bent.
(If a single stick long enough is not at hand, two smaller ones
can be spliced together.) The ends should be brought around,
lai)j)ed, and tied with a string or a withe of bark. The skin
should be taken from the animal b}' rii)ping from the lower
front teeth to the vent, and peeling around the lips, eyes, and
ears, but without ripping up the legs. It should then be
placed inside the hoop and fastened at opposite sides, with
twine or bark, till all loose parts are taken up, and the whole
stretched so that it is nearly round and as tight as a drum-

CURLNG SKINS.

lieacl. When it is dry it may be taken from the hoop, and is
ready for packing and transpoi-raion. ^

This is the proper method of treating the skin of the deer
Some prefer .t for the wolf and raccoon. In many c 1 H *
t.-apper may tai.e his choice between the hoop ^^ .hX ^
method. One or the other of these methods will b S
satisfactory for curing all kinds of skins. ^

Fur manufacturers and dealers now, in I^IM, demand

1. That the bow stntchcr be almys used for Muskrats.' Skin from the
nose, and make the rumps square, not rouu.l or pointed

2. That Ermine, Fisher, Fox, Marten, Mink, Opossum, Otter and Skunk

3. That Badger, Bear, Beaver, Racoon, Wolf and Wolverine must bo
op.n, thaxs cut open along the belly from tail to head, and str tched
Homewhat oblong, to the fullest extent of tho skin. The /.J^ S-
Bhould bo used only for Beaver. -v/ara^

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till:

IV. LIFE IN THE WOODS.

T}IK ijivat (luestioii, li'tc" .w , for tlie trn|)per as well as for
tlie soldier, is, how tit live and kec]) himself comfortable while
he carries on the war. H req . . i. ■. in some I'espects even
moi'c than a soldier's couracrf, for iie is to encounter the liard-
ships of camp-life alone, or witli but one or two companions,
and without a baniiaffe-train to brino; up ])rovisi()ns at every
halt. The very first article of outfit that he should equip
himself with. I should say, would be a firm trust in Provi-
dence. IJut as ('romwell told his soldiers to " trust God and
keej) their ])ow(ler dry." so the trapper will need to provide
scmie things for himself, while he trusts Providence. I will
therefore tell him as well as I can, how I equip myself for life
in the woods,

OlTl ri' FOR A (AMPAIGN ON FOO I .

If tlie region in which you propose to trap cannot be reached
by boat or waijon, you must be content with such necessaries
as you can carry on your person. A trapjier on foot should
not tire himself with lon<i[ stiff-le";£;cd boots, but should wear
shoi-t lialf-boots (with soles well nailed), fitting snuiily above
and around the ankle. His jiants should be <iray woolen,
closely fittinrr below the knee, but roomy above. His coat
Bhould be of the same material and color, with plenty of

i T-

Mr New house's Tent and Stovk.

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LIFK IN THE WOODS.

pocket-vooni. His hat slioiild he of soft feh, gray, and with a
moderate brim. He should carry a ''ciiano-e" of woolen
drawers, wrappers, shirts, and stockinirs. A towel with soap,
a night-caj), and a hlanket, or, what is better, a Canton-flannel
bag to sleep in, will complete his personal equipments. Then
he must carry for shelter a small tent, made of firm cotton-
drilling, weighing not more than two pounds and a half;

Slu'lier Tent.

for subsistence, a double-barrelled gun (rifle and shot), weigh-
ing seven or eight pounds, with ammunition, and fishing-
tackle ; and, for all sorts of purposes, an axe of two ajid a
half pounds (with a good length of handle), and plenty of
tacks and nails. For cooking and table service he must carry
a frying-pan, a camp-kettle, a hunting-knife, some knives and
forks, spoons of two sizes, a few tin pressed plates and basins,
and a drinking-cup. Above all, he must not forget to take a
good supply of matches and a pocket-compass. These neces-
saries (exclusive of clotliing) will weigh, according to my reck-
oning, about twenty-five pounds. The rest of his load must
be made up of traps and provisions. If he is stout enough
to undertake trapping on foot, he ought to be able to travel
with about fifty pounds. He may take then five pounds of
provisions and twenty pounds of traps, or any other propor-
tion of these articles that will make up the remaining twenty-

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THE TRAPi'KR'S ART.

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five pounds. His provisions should consist of articles tliat will
lie desirable as accompaniments to the produce of his gun and
fishing-tackle, namely, sugar, tea and coffee (rather than
wjiiskey), «alt, pepper, hutter, lard, sifted Indian meal, white
heans, crackers, &c. The butter and lard shoidd be put up
in air-tight cans, and on arrival at the trapping grounds should
be sunk in a spring. The best kind of knapsack for carrying
such an outfit is made of rubber-cloth, with shoulder-straps :
but yon can easily convert your sleeping bag oi yoiu" blanket
into a knapsack that will serve very well.* If you trap with
one companion or more (which is a good plan and according to
the general practice), many of the articles named in the above
list will answer for the party, and so the load for individuals
will be lightened. Thus equipped, you can turn your back
on the haunts of men, march into the wilderness, and, with a
little hunting and fishing in the intervals of trap-duty, live
j)leasantly for months, and return with your load of furs, a
stouter and healthier mm than when you started.

OUTFIT FOR AN EXCURSION HY WAGON OR HOAT.

If vour trapping district can be reached by road or by
water, some changes should be made in the foregoing inven-
tory. For the interest of your larder it will be best to take
more annnunition, and a greater variety of fishing-tackle. A
lamp and lantern, with a supi)ly of oil, a camp-hatchet of
twelve ounces in weight with a fourteen-inch handle, a stone
for sharpening knives, axes, and hooks, a magazine of needles,
thread, scissors, &c., and many other like conveniences, may

* One of the most satisfactory arrangements we have ever seen for carrying lug-
f^age on the back is tlie Indian shouider-basiiet. They are made nearly square, or
about ten inches by twelve, at the bottom, and twelve or fourteen inches high. One
side is flat, the others are rounded and drawn in toward the top, making the moutb
of the basket only about half the size of the bottom. Over the mouth, and exteiid-
mg some distance down the sides, a cover of rubber or enamel-cloth should be fitted
On the flat side of the basket shoulder-straps are fastened, crossing each other in the
form of an X. These straps should be made of two thicknesses of strong cotton
cloth, sewed together and stuffed with cotton. The great advantages of this basket
■re, that it is ligiit, easily managed, fits the back well, bringing the load just whera
it is wanted, does not get out of place, and does not heat the back like a close-fitting
knapsack. Combined with the basket the trapper needs a small enamel-cloth hav
•nack such as is worn by soldiers. — Kditoks.

LIFK IN TIIK WOODS.

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be stowed away in the odd corners of your lnr;nagi'. You
may also carry more clothing and more ))r()visi()ns, such as
potatoes, and ought certainly to take along at least one hun-
dred and fifty traps of different sizes, and a jrood set of board-
stretchers for curinii skins.

TENT.

In tlie j)lace of the liglit half-tent recommended for a cam-
paign on foot, you should take a regular A tent of eight or
nine pounds' weight, house-shaped, and buttoning up in front.
This should be dipped two or thrci times in a solution pre-
pared by mixing equal parts of sugar of lead and alum in a
pailful of milk-warm water. This treatment will render the
tent almost impervious to rain, and will protect it from the
sparks of fire that will occasionally be blown upon it. Instead
of a ridg"-pole and two forked stakes for supporting it, all you
need is a cord thirty or forty feet long, to be drawn through
the ridge of the tent, fastened to it about midway, and tied
at the ends to two trees at the proj)er height. The sides
should be drawn down tight and fastened by hooks driven
into the ground.

STOVE AND FURNITURE.

A much needed convenience for life in the woods is a stove
with its furniture, that shall on the one hand afford all neces-
sary facilities for cooking and warming, and on the other shall
take up the least possible room in ])acking. Having devoted
considerable study to this matter, I flatter myself that I can
put the ingenious trai)per in a way to make or procure the
exact article that he wants. Your stove should be made of
sheet-iron, and should be twenty-seven inches long, ten inches
wide, and eight inches deep, having on the top two eight-i:v h
holes for boilers and one four-inch hole for tiie smoke-pipe.
Ten feet of pipe will be sufficient, and this can be made in
five joints of two feet each, tapering in the whole lengtii from
four inches in diameter to three, sc that the joints will slip
into each other and the whole can be packed ibr transporta-
tion inside the stove. For an outlet of the pipe through the

i;'"

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THE TKAlM'Eirs AUT.

! I

i ;■;

roof of tlio tent, tliore sliouKl bo Ji iiiueu of tin, ten inches
square, with an jblonij; hole, to be fastened at the ])ro|)er
phice on tlie roof by tnearjsVif hij)pels. The furnitm'e of the
stove should be two drippinir-pans of Russia iron ; one thir-
teen inehea long, nine inches wide, and an inch and !i quarter
dee|) ; the other cn()un;h smaller to ])ack inside the first; a
kettle, also of Russia iron, nine inches across the top, seven
inches and a half deep, and six inches and a half across the
bottom ; and two or three tin i)ails and several basins, all
made in a diminishing series, so that they will slip into each
other, and all into the iroii kettle. The kettle and pails match
the holes in the top of the stove, and when used in cooking
tea, coffee, &c., should be covered with tin pressed j)lates.
The whole of this furniture can be packed with the pipe in
the stove. For supporting the stove in the teut, prepare four
posts eighteen inches long, made of three-ei'^hths inch iron
rod, sharpened at one end, flattened at the otlior and fash-
ioned like a small tenon. Two pieces of batul-iron should
then be made just long enough to ivach across the bottom of
the stove and receive the tenons of the posts into holes drilled
in each end. Then, to set up your stove, drive the posts into
the ground, adjust the cross-jiieces to their places, and place
the stove on the cross-pieces. Small depressions should be
filed in the edge of the stove-bottom, to fit the ends of the
tenons, above the cross-pieces, so as to prevent the stove from
moving from its position. Your tent is large enough to ac-
commodate any number of persons from two to six ; and your
stove will warm them and do their cooking, with an amount
of fuel that will be a mere trifle compared with what is re-
quired for an open fire. It has the advantage also of giving
a quick heat, and, with a damper, will keep fire all night.

BED AND BEDDING.

Good sleeping accommodations can be provided in the fol-
lowing manner : Take two pieces of sacking or other coarse
cloth, six and a half feet long and two feet and three quarters
wide, and sew them firmly together at the sides, making a bag
with both ends open. Cut two poles, each seven feet long

I.IFK IN TIIK WOODS.

and two iiK'lies in clianiettT, jukI run tlu'ni throufih tlu' b«<;,
rentin<^ \\n: ends in notclii's on two logs pliict'd piirallel to oach
otluT at the |)ro|»tM' distance upart. The notches sliould lie
so tar apai't tliat the poles will tightly stretch the bag. Four
forked stakes, if more convenient, may he substituted for the
hms ami driven into tlu; ground so as to receive the I'uds of
the poles and stretch the sacking. The space in the bag be-
tween the poles should be tilled with dry grass, leaves, ever-
green boughs, or moss, which will give it the warmth and
softness of a straw bed. Hy this arrangement you have an
extempore bedstead, raising you above the cold, damp ground,
and a bed as gooil jis the best. For l)ed-clothes, the best con-
trivance is II sleeping baj;, generally made of sheepskin or
some other warm and light fur. It should bo about six and
a half feet long, open at one end. Let the tired hunter insert
himself in this bag feet foremost, and he will need no " tuck-
ing up " tokee|),him comfortable even on the ground or in
the snow ; and if he is fortunate enough to be ])erched on
such a bed as is above described, in a ten. well buttoned up»
with a friendly stove at his feet, the cit of the loon, the howl
of the wolf, or the scream of the panther, will hardly disturb
J) is slumbers.

(AMP-CHEST.

A chest made of light materials, two feet nine inches in
length, eighteen inches in width, and fourteen inches in depth
— not larger than an ordinary trutik — will hold in trans-
portation the stove with its pipe and all its furniture, the bed
and bedding, the tent and all its rigging, and in fact nearly
the whole outfit that has been described. The cover of the
chest should be made of two thicknesses of boards, five eighths
of an inch thick, with double hinges, so that the upper lid can
be turned back separately, and form with the other lid a good
table.

COOKING.

It will not be expected that the trapper's larder will be sup-
plied with all the varieties and luxuries that can be found at
the St. Nicholas, or at a Saratoga hotel. But it will always

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THK TRAPl'ER'S ART.

be a satisfaction tct know tliat flesh, fish, and fowl, are fresh
from their native elements, and have not huns in the market
two or three weeks before eomin<j on the table.

The ways of cooking in camp are as various as in the
Kitchen at home. Fresh fish can be fried in butter, lard, or
the fat of the deer ; or they can be boiled, or broiled and but-
tered. Venison can be fried, or broiled in cutlets, or roasted
before a camp-fire in joints, or stewed a la fricassee, or boiled
into soup with potatoes. Squirrels, ducks, partridges, wood-
cock, quails, pigeons, prairie fowls, and any other game that
comes to hand, can be fried, broiled, or boiled as well in the
woods as in the best hotel.

The very best way of cooking fish and fowl ever devised is
familiar to woodsmen, but unknown to city epicures. It is
this: Take a large fish — say a ti'out of three or four pounds,
fVesh from its gambols in the cool atream — cut a small hole
at the neck and abstract the intestines. Wash the inside
clean, and season it with pepper and salt ; or if convenient,
fill it with stuffing made of bread-crumbs or crackers chopped
up with meat. Make a fire outside the tent, and when it has
burned down to embers, rake it open, put in the fish, and
cover it with the coals and hot ashes. Within an hour take
it from its bed, peel off the skin from the clean flesh, and you
will h.ave a trout with all its original juices and flavors pre-
served within it ; a dish too good, as I/aak Wjilton would say,
^'for any but very honest men."

Grouse, ducks, and various other fowls can bo cooked de-
liciously in a similar way. The intestines of the bird should
be taken out by a small hole at the vent, and the inside
washed and stufted as before. Then wet the feathers thor-
oughly, and cover with hot embers. When the cooking is
finished, peel off the burnt feathers and skin, and you will find
underneath a lump of nice juicy flesh, which, when once
tasted, will never be forgotten. The peculiar advantage of
this method of roasting is that the covering of embers pre-
vents the escape of the juices by evaporation.

Everybody knows how to cook potatoes and make tea ana
€o£Pee, and anybody fit for a trapper must " know beans," and

lU.

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LIFE IN THE WOODS.

o
o
a
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Q
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o

how to cook them. But bread ! asks tlie novice ; what are
we to do for bread ? Well, we have good, sifted Indian meal,
and we will put some into a basin or pail, add a little salt, pour
on scalding water, and mix to the consistency of stiff batter.
After our venison or fis-h is cooked, we will put this batter
into the hot fat that remains, a spoonful in a place, leveling it
down smoothly, and turning it over till it is "done brown."
Such a Johnnycuke, served up with butter and sugar, would
tempt a man to leave the best wheat bread that ever was
made.

JKRKEI) MEAT.

If you have the fortune to kill a deer or a moose in warm
weather, and have an over-supply of meat that is likely to be
tainted, you can preserve it by the following process : Cut all
the flesh from the bones in thin strips, and place them, for
convenience, on the inside of the hide. Add two or three
quarts of salt for a moose, and a pint and a half for a deer, well
worked in. Cover the whole with the sides and corners of
the hide to keep out flies, and let it remain in this condition
about two hours. Drive four forked stakes into the ground
so as to form a square of about eight or ten feet, leaving the
forks four feet high. Lay two poles across one way in these
forks, and fill the whole space the other way with poles laid
on the first two, about two inches apart. The strips of flesh
should then be laid across the poles, and a small fire of clean
hard wood should be started underneath, and kept up for
twenty-four hours. This process will reduce the weight of
the flesh more than half, bringing it to a condition like that
of dried or smoked beef, in which it will keep any length of
time. This is called jerked venison. It is good eating, and
always commands a high price in market. An over-supply
of fish can be treated in the same manner. They should be
split open on the back and the backbone taken out.

PREPARATIONS AGAINST INSECTS.

In the warm months, chiefl)' from the first of June to the
first of September, woodsmen are annoyed by myriads of flies,
gnats, and mosquitoes. These can be driven out of a tent by

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7P^"^

100

THE TRAPPER'S ARl'

smoke, and can be kept out by buttoning all tight. But the
trapper sh(nilcl also provide hiniselF with a protective aganist
these pests. A good preparation tor this pur|)ose may be
made by warming about three ounces of hog's lard, and add-
ing to it half an ounce of the oil of pennyroyal. This oint-
ment, ai)plied once in an hour or less, to the parts exposed,
will give entire protection.

Another preparation can bo made by mixing equal parts of
connnon tar with sweet oil, a])i)lying as before. This j)rei)a-
ration is by some consiilered the best, because it also pn^ve :ts
taiming, and is easily waslied off with soap, leaving the skin
»oft and white.

/Hi

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THE SHANTY.

The tent which I have recommeiuled is j)robably best
adapted to the irregular operations of amateur sportsmen, the
volunteers and <ruerrillas of the trap. The old reirulars and
veterans of the service always have built, and probablv will
continue to build, rude huts, called shanties, at various points
in the region of their ()|)erations. Shanties are of two kinds,
temporary aiul permanent. The temj)orarv shanty is made
by driviuix two forked stakes into the siround, laviuii a ridire-
pole across, leaning many other j)oles against this, iind cover-
ing the skeleton thus formed with bark or split boards. The
permanent shanty is made of logs, laid one above another in
a square form, joined at the corners by means of notches, and
roofed over with sj)lit logs formed into troughs, and placed in
this form : ^'^l^T^^lJ^^ir^l.^^^l^' The crevices should be stopped
with clay or moss. At one end a rude fire-place and chimney
of stone should be built, the latter reaching just above the top
of the shanty.

TKAPPING LINKS.

Tra))ping, when carried on systemntically aiul on the large
scale, has, like an army, its lines of operation, its depots of
provisions, and its arrangements for keeping open its comum-
nications with its base. The general proceedings of a regular
trapping campaign may be described as follows : The trapping

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LIFE IN THE WOODS.

101

company, which consists generally of two, thrc^, or four per-
sons, start out a httle before the trapping season commences ;
select their hnes, extending into the woods frequently from
thirty to fifty miles ; carry along, and deposit at intervals on
the line, traps and provisions ; and build shanties at conven-
ient points, for sleeping-posts and shelters from storms. These
preparations sometimes require several journeys and returns,
and are made in advance of the trapping season, so that, when
trapping commences, all hands may have nothing else to at-
tend to. If the line extends directly from a settlement, so
that it has what may be called a home-base, none but rude,
temporary shanties are built ; and once in about ten days,
during the season, a man is sent back to the settlement, to
carry out furs and bring back provisions. But, if the line
commences so far from the frontier that such return-journeys
are impracticable, then, besides the temporary shanties, a
more substantial and permanent hut, called the home-shanty,
is built at some point on the line, for depositing furs, provis-
ions, and other valuables ; and this becomes the base of opera-
tions for the season. A boy is sometimes taken along to
** keep shanty," as trappers say, i. e., to remain at the home-
shanty as housekeeper and guard. Such a resident at the
main depot is very necessary, as bears and other wild animals
(not to mention fire and human thieves) have a habit of
breaking into an unguarded shanty, and destroying every-
thing within reach. Prudent trappers rarely leave furs in a
shanty alone, even though it is strongly barricaded. If they
cannot carry them out to the settlement, and have no boy to
** keep shanty," they generally hide them in hollow trees. At
the close of a season, if the party are satisfied with their line.
and intend to trap on it another season, they hide their traps
under rocks, where they will not be exposed to the fires that
sweep the woods in dry times.

VM I

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III

•"!

THE TRAPL»EK\S FOOD.

By T. L. PITT.

The trap]K'i' on his expeditions must often depend on his
rifle or trap for subsistence. I will indicate the leading kinds
of game which supply his wants, and methods of obtaining
them.

DEKH.

Among food animals, Mr. Newhouse has noticed the Deer
and Moose. These are the trapper's most desirable game
throughout all northern countries. In America, we have the
common Red or Virginia Deer ; the Black-tailed Deer, two
varieties ; the Long-tailed Deer of the Pacific slo|)e ; the
Wapita or Stag, once distributed over a large ])ortion of the
Continent, but now found principally west of the Mississippi,
in Oregon and Washington Territorv, and in some narts of
British America ; the IMoose ; two varieties of th'j Caribou
or Reindeer, in British America ; and the Mule Deer of the
Rocky Mountains. In Europe and Asia are the Moose or
Elk ; the Stag or Red Deer ; the Fallow Deer ; the Rein-
deer ; the Persian or Indian Red Deer ; the Thibetan Stag ;
the Sika of Japan ; the Axis Deer of India ; besides many
other varieties in Asia, especially in the southern part.

The best method, and the one most to be relied on by the
trapper, for hunting Deer, is what is called the " still hunt."
The practice of hunting by boat and torch on lakes and
streams, at night, is only adapted to the summer months, when
trapping is out of the question, and when Deer should not be
hunted, it being their breeding season. The plan of running
Deer into lakes with dogs, though often practiced, is discarded

Dep:r Bueakiko Cjveu

TIIK HIO UOMN.

loa

and ('oihIciiiiiimI t)v tlic li<<sl I)(mm' liiiiilfrH, an it trutU to inak»
tiio I )(■(>!' wild, mid to drive tlictii into otlirr regions. It. iiiiiv
Ik' rcsiirtcd to wIm'U ncccHHiiry, Init. cimiiot. lie rccdininciidcd.
It involves idno tlie keepiii;:; of u do;^ vvliieli is ^eiiernlly of
little use lor iiiiy oilier |iiir|io.se, iind is a eoiistatit liill of ex-
pense. "Still limiting" is |»raetised liy finding the I'resli track
ol" tlie Deer, ai'd eareriilly and iioiselt^sHly lollowin^ itp the
trail till the location oi' the animal is discovered, when, hy
carel'iil a|)|iroiich, ii ^oo(| shot can p'lierally he olttained.
I'ra<'ticed I )eer hunters lieconm wonderl'iilly keen, accurate,
and siiccesslnl in the still hunt. Messrs. Ilolland and (jiiinter,
of I lastiiiifs ( 'onnty, Ontario, (Jan. — the Ibrnn'r of whom is
one of th(( most. accom|tlished deer-hnnters in Caimda, — ^ive
the lollowin^ directions lor this method : —

" For still liiiiiliii<;, the hunter slioiild provide hiinself with a ^'ood
rifle niid a pair ol' deei-skiii luoecasins. When lindiii<^ llie Iraii he
sliould walk can-l'iilly, and kerp a ^ood hMikonI ahead, as Deer are
always wal('liiii}r liaek on iheir trail. When routed they alniosl. al-
ways stop on hills. In order to ^et within <i;nrisli(»t it is newissary
to eireht nnmd and coiih; up toward them in front or at the side —
always eireliiijj; to the leeward side, us their srnse of smell is very
aciit«'. The Deer, when the early snows coiim, usually {.jet up and
feed till alxtnt ten o'clock, A. M. ; then they lie down till ahont llin;(;
o'clock, v. M., when they start on a ranihlin;^ ex(!ursion till near
th(^ next morning;. In these exenr.^ions ihry ahno-t always return
to the plac(! from whence they started, or near to it."

In still liuntin<i, if h'.ick, doe and liiwiis are found together,
shoot tlio doe first, as in tliiit case tln^ hnck will not I.-ave the
phico till you have had opportunity for another shot. Deer
when they lie down, turn oil' from their riiri-way, or track,
iiiul take a '/'\}i,7A\}r course back a sliort distance. They lie in a
position which commands a view of tlie back track.

THF HOCKY MOUNTAIN SUKKP OK HIO-IIORN.

This animal is larger than the common sheep, boinn; some-
times six feet long, about three feet high at tlie sbonlders, and
weighing nearly three hundred and fifty pounds. They are
found throughout the whole range of the Rocky Mountains,
from the 30th to the 68th degree of north latitude. The horns

!jl>

i 1

■A

ii I

> ' i

t !

104

THK TWAIM'KKS FOOD.

jtr

«h.'-

of tlio mail's luv I'liormous, iiicasurin^ ovit two k«(>t ten
inclu's ill li'Hi^tli nuiiul llu' cnrvi', and Ikmii;^ very lar^i' at
till' basi'. 'riii'ir t-olor is a rut'oiis t^ray, r\i'i>|»t tlm iiiiii)(,
brily, and tlir insidi' of tin? Iiiiid li'<;s, all of whicji ari' n ^rav
isli wliiti'. In wintiT tlii'v hi'i'Dino lii^litiT-rolorod. The liair
is coarso and sliu;litly rriinpi'd. I JmliTuratli tlio iiair is a soil
fur or wool. Till' hi;j;-lioin is, or bi'conies at'tor contart with
hnntcrs, an oxcoi'din^ly shy, wild animal. In tlio retired |)arts
of the mountains where they have never been linnted, they
are sometimes Unuul ([iiite tame and nnsus|)eetiii^. They are
j;rej;arion8 and live in small Moeks amon^ the peaks and most
inaeeessible rejiions of the monntaiiis, never deseendintr into
the plains. They snbsist on monntain <j;rass and herbage, and
inhabii the roekv reeesses. The vomijj; rams and the iemales
herd toti;ether dnrinu; the winter and sprinji;, while the old rams
separate in tloeks, exeept at the rnttinjj; season in Deeember.
Tlie rams lijiht Hercelv with eaeli other like common rams.
Tiie ewes brinu; forth one or two youii<; in June and July.

The llesli of the lii«j;-liorii is excellent, superior to the best
venison or the finest mutton. They can only be liunted suc-
cessfully by the exercise of extreme caution and strate<ry in
npproachin*,'; them ; and if only wounded by the first fire they
retire to their recesses among the rocks, and there die, inac-
cessible to the hunter. Dogs are worse than useless in liunt-
inji them.

Another MoufHon is

"mu

'11

I I

THE AUGALl.

Tbe Argali of Siberia and Central Asia greatly resembles
the American big-horn, and some naturalists have regarded
them as the same species. They are very large, being about
four feet higli at the shoulders and proportionately large in
build. The horns of a full grown male are nearly four feet
in length, measured along the curve, and about nineteen
inches in circumference at the base. They rise from the fore-
head a short distance, then curve downward below the chin,
then recurve upward and terminate in a point. They are
tnountain-lovinor animals and are found in the hicrhlands and

hi, r

o
O

!2:

■<

THE PRONG-IIORN ANTELOPE.

105

mountain rank's of Siberia and Central Asia. They are very
fleet and sure of foot, and when (hstnrbed rush to tlie most
inaccessible places among the rocks and jieaks. They are
gregarious and live in small flocks. In the winter these flocks
are sometimes enveloped in the deep snow-drifts. In such
oases they lie ([uietly under the snow and resj)ire through u
small breathing-hole. The hunters eagerly hunt for these
imprisoned Argalis, and s|)ear them through the snow. At
other times they are hunted with the same cautious strutegy
that is required iii the case of the big-horn.

THE ruoxG-noKN AXTi:r,()PK.

This animal abounds on the wc^stern plains of the United
States. It is the only species of Anvelope in North America.
It is of nearly the same size as the Virginia deer. They dift'af
from all other Antelopes in having a j)rong or l)ranch on each
horn. This j)rong is situated about the middle of the horn
on the anterior face. The toj)s of the horns curve inward
and backward, forming a small hook like those of the cha-
mois. The lejis of the Prone-horn are louix and slender,
the ears long, narrow, and pointed, and the tail short and
bushy. The whole form is stately, elegant, and graceful.
Tiie color of the upper parts is a yellowi,->h-brown : the under
parts, with a patch on the rumj), are grayish-white. Their
favorite haunts are the low ])rairies adjoining the covered
woody bottoms. They pre also found on the upland prairies,
and alonji the rivers and streams. Thev swim well. Thev
sometimes con<ire<:ate in lar<:e flocks ; at other times only one
or two are seen. In the winter the Indians take advantage
of their consregatins: toirether and hunt them bv a " sur-
round." The manner of doiiiij this is as follows : A lari^e
number of Indians distribute themselves around the Antelope
at such a distance as not to alarm them. Then they advance
with cries and noise from all sides. The Antelo])e, instead ot
endeavt)ring to escaj)e, herd closer together in their fright, and
sufter themselves to be beaten down with clubs. In this way
great numbers are sometimes killed, "^hough very wild and
thy, the Antelope is full of curiosity. Any novel object at-

I m

'Mi
11

106

THE TRAPPER'S POOD.

tracts their attention. At lengtli curiosity overcomes timidity,
and tliey advance to examine it. The hunter takes advantajife
of this trait. ConceaHng liimself, l\e attaclies a red or wliite
flap; to his ramrod, and with it attracts the animal witliin
range of liis rifle. Their sense of smell is very acute, conse-
quently the hunter shduld always keep to the leeward of them.
They are among the fleetest of all animals. They inhabit all
the western part of North America from the Saskatchewan
to the plains of New Mexico. Their flesh is inferior to that
of the deer.

SQUIUHEJ. HUNTING.

Squirrels are usually considered "small game" by trappers,
requiring more annnunition to kill them than they are worth.
There are times, however, when they furnish an acceptable
addition to woodland fare. Tiie best way to hunt them is
this : Find a piece of woods where they abound. Go into
the woods and seat yourself on a fallen tree or rock. Remain
motionless and quiet. Soon you will begin to hear the Squir-
rels at tlieir work or see them among the trees. By patience
and the most quiet strategic movements you will soon get a
shot. Several may sometimes be shot from one position, in a
short time. The great point in Squirrel hunting is to avoid
all unnecessary moving about.

I'"i . ti

ft'ii

GROUSE.

The Grouse family furnishes the trapper his most desirable
winced fjame, throughout the world. In this countrv the
leading kinds of Grouse are the following : —

THE RUFFED GROUSE.

This biid is known in New England as the Partridge, and
m some of the Southern and Middle States as the Pheasant.
Neither of these names is the proper one, for this bird belongs
to neither the partridge nor the pheasant families. The wild
turkeys are the only representatives of the i)heasant family
in North America ; and the so-called quail is our true par-
tridge. Let us hereafter, not only as naturalists, but as hunters
tnd trappers, call this noble bird by its true American name

i 'ill]

THE PINNATED GROUSE.

107

-- Ruffed Grouse. There are three species of the Ruffed
Grouse : the common species wliicli iuliabits the country
from the Southern States to Labrador and the Saskatche-
wan ; the Orefjon or Sabine's Grouse of the Rocky Mount-
ains and the Pacific slo|)e, and the AlHod Grouse inliabiting
the Rocky Mountains northward to tiie frozen rejrions. The
OreiTon Grouse is niucli darker and recKler than tlie common
species. The Alhed Grouse is of a h<i;ht <j;ray coh)r, and is
smaller tlian either of the others. All are excellent for the
table. Rutfed Grouse are j^enerally found in small flocks,
except where they have been jnuch hunted. In the latter
case more than two are rarelv found together. They delight
in upland and mountain forests, where springs and small
brooks abound. They are ])articularly fond of the high,
sloping banks which border on such streams. These are
their favorite feedino;-2rounds. Their Hesh is white and
unsurpassed in flavor by other Grouse. They should be
hunted with a trained dog. Sportsmen prefer cockers. In
the back woods they may occasionally be hunted with moder-
ate success without a dog; but such hunting is generally tedi-
ous and uncertain. They are easily snared by building a low
fence of twigs with occasional ()])enings, large enough to per-
mit a bird to pass through, and placing a slip-noose across the
opening. The noose should be made of small copper wire.
Some Imnters prefer to attach the noose to a spring-pole.

■Si

-'J 1

iff:

THE PINNATED GROUSE.

This species is commonly known as the Prairie Hen. They
'brinerly existed in great number-> m the Atlantic States, but
are now mostly confined to the i)rairies and plains of the West,
east of ihe Rocky Mountains, within the liniits of the United
States. They differ from the ruffed grouse in preferring the
open country to the forests. They choose the dry lands for
their habitat, avoiding as far as possible marshy or wet piaces.
They depend for their drink on the dew which they collect
from the leaves of plants. In color the Prairie Hen resembles
the ruffed grouse, but its markings are different. It is about
nineteen inches long and when in good ordei, weighs about

108

THE TRAPPER'S FOOD.

three and a half pounds. Its meat is dark-colored Imt tine tKv
vored. The neck is furnished witli a pair of supplemental
wings, about three inches long ; underneath these are orange-
colored air-sacs, which can be inflated to the size of a medium
sized orange. Audubon says that when these sacs are " per-
fectly inflated, the bird lowers its head to the ground, opens
its bill, and sends forth, as it were, the air contained in these
bladders in distinctly separated notes, rolling one after another
from loud to low, and producing a sound like that of a large
muffled drum. This done, the bird immediately erects itself,
refills its receptacles by inhalation, and again proceeds with its
' tootings.' " These tootings can be sometimes heard at the
distance of a mile. Their food consists of the seeds of the
sumach, grapes, grain, wild strawberries, cranberries, partridge-
berries, whortleberries, blackberries and young buds. They
also eat worms, grasshoppers and insects, and in winter feed
on acorns, the tender buds of the pine, clover leaves, and»
when possible, frequent grain stubbles. They are best hunted
with a trained dog.

h'iil

l\i: i

THE SHARP-TAIL OROUSE.

This bird is allied to and greatlv resembles the i)recedins.
It takes the place of the prairie hen in the far West, on the
plains that skirt the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains.
It avoids the highlands and mountains, and has its habitat on
the prairie and open grounds. There they congregate in
flocks, feeding on wild rye. Near settlements they frequent
grain stubbles. They hybridize with the pinnated grouse,
and are equally excellent for food. They are destitute of the
gular sacs on the neck. Their range extends northward
into British America. In the far North there is another
species called the Arctic Sharp-tailed Grouse. They are
about the same in size as the preceding, but are darker in
color, being black where the other is brown.

THE COCK OF THE PLAINS.

This is the largest of the American grouse. Its common
name is the Sage Cock. Its habitat is chiefly on the western

THE CANADA GROUSE.

ino

the
tains,
tat on
ite in
quent
ovise,
lof the
iward
other
y are
cer in

plains on both sides of the Rocky Mountains where tlie wild
sage or artemisia grows. It feeds on the leaves of this plant,
which being very bitter, give the flesh an unpalatable flavor.
In the autumn, however, they frequent the streams of the
Columbia, where they i't'ed on the pulpy-leaved thorn. At
this season their flesh is good. The males have large, orange-
colored gular sacs on the sides of the neck, which they inflate,
and by expelling the air produce " a loud, grating noise,
resembling hurr-hurr-r-r-hoo, ending in a deep hollow tone,
not unlike the sound caused bv blowin2 into a lartje reed."
Their general color is light brown, marked with black, dark
brown and yellowish white. They are large, weighing fre-
quently five or six pounds. The tail is long and pheasant-
shaped.

THE DUSKY GROUSE.

The species next in size to the preceding is the Dusky
Grouse, sometimes called the Pine Grouse. It is an inhabit^
ant of the Pacific slope and of the Rocky Mountains from
the Columbia River to Texas. They are supposed to be par-
tially miffratorv, leaving their accustomed haunts in November
and being absent until spring. Their flesh is said to be excel-
lent, having a slight pine flavor, which is not disagreeable.
The Dusky Grouse is easily captured. Their habit is to spend
most of their time on the ground. Thev lie close till almost
stepped on, and when disturbed take refuge in the nearest
tree, alighting among the branches and remaining motionless.
Richardson's Grouse resembles the Dusky (xrouse, but its hab-
itat is in the Rocky Mountains from the South Pass northward.

THE SPRUCE OR CANADA GROUSK.

This bird is found from the northern United States to the
Arctic Sea, and from the Atlantic nearly to the Rocky Mount-
ains. Their favorite habitat is the thick evergreen swamps.
They are less wild and shy than the other kinds of Grouse,
and are said to be easily tamed. When confined, they feed
readily on oats, wheat, or other grain. Their flesh is quite
dark, and in winter, when they feed on the leaves of ever-
greens, is unpalatable. In the season of berries it is m"ch

\d '

110

THE TRAPPER'S FOOD.

better flavored. In the Rocky Mountains a species of Grouse
is found which clostly resembles the Spruce Grouse, except
that its habitat is in the mountains rather than in the swamps.
This species is called Franklin's Grouse.

PTARMIGAl^.

Allied to the grouse, and known by the name of Snow
Grouse are the Ptarmigans. They inhabit the northern parts
of both continents, especially the cold snowy regions near or
within the Arctic Circle. They differ from the common
Grouse in having their legs and feet completely feathered,
leaving no portion of the body exposed except the bill and
nails. They all turn white in winter, but in summer are
beautifully mottled with various colors. Only one species has
its habitat within the limits of the United States. This is the

WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN

of the Rocky Mountains. They inhabit the regions of
eternal snow, and only descend to the lower levels to breed.
Not much is known of this species except that they are wild
and shy. Tlieir color in winter is the same as their snowy
surroundings, and in summer resembles that of the moss and
lichen covered rocks.

•V

111

THE WILI,OW PTARMIGAN.

This is an important bird \nd furnishes a large amount
of food to the inhabitants of British America, particularly to
the natives and trappers of the Hudson's Bay territory. In
winter they sometimes enter the limits of the Northern States,
and their range is from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to the
Rocky Mountains and the Arctic Sea. They breed plentifully
in Newfoundland, Labrador and the fur countries. They
live mostly on the ground. They are wonderfully prolific,
and vast numbers of them are found and captured in some
localities. Hearne, who travelled and explored in the Hud-
son's Bay region nearly a hundred years ago gives the follow-
ing account of them : — . .

" They are by far the most numerous of the grouse species that

WATER FOWL

111

EUROPEAN GROUSK.

Tlie principal Grouse of Europe are tlie Capercaille and the
Black Grouse. The former is a very large bird, about three
feet long, and inhabits the wooded portions of Northern Eu-
rope, especially those of Sweden and Norway. Tlie Black
Grouse is also quite large. They are abundant in Sweden
and Norway, and Northern Europe. Several species of ptar-
mijian are also found on the Eastern Continent.

WATER FOWL.

Two families of water fowl are of considerable importance to
the trapper. These are the Ducks and the Geese. The for-
mer ail so familiar as to need no description. I will merely
enumerate the species that are esteemed for the table. These
are divided into the sub-families of Sea Ducks and River
Ducks. The latter principally frequent the inland waters,
and are all good for the table. They are the Pin-tail, the
Mallard, the Black or Dusky, t«he Shoveller, the Muscovy,
the Wood, the Widgeon, the Green-winged and Blue-winged
Teal, and the Gadwall. Of the Sea Ducks, oidy the Red-
head, the Canvas-back, and the Ring-neck are much es-
teemed. The two first are excellent. All the vefjetable-eat-
ing ducks are adapted to table use ; the fish-eaters are poor.
They are hunted with decoys in the early spring and fall, and
in summer with punt boats. A heavy shoulder gun with wide
bore and long; range is used.

The Wild Geese spread over the whole of this Continent
and abound in Europe and Asia. They breed in the far
north. They migrate north in the early spring, and return
south late in the fall. In the fur-countries of British Amer-
ica they constitute the principal summer food of the inhabit-
ants, and are salted down in great numbers for winter use.
They are shot from behind screens on the margins of lakes
and rivers. The hunters decoy them within range by imitat-
ing their cries. Tame Geese may also be used as decoys.

ill

lat

r \

If
'■H

III

1^1

NOTES ON TRAPPING AND WOOD-CRAFT.

By "F. 11.

[The following article was written by a practical trapper, in response
to an invitation from Mr. Newhouse, and partly as a criticism on our first
edition of the " Guide." As his suggestions are the result of actual expe-
rience, they will be found interesting to the trapper, whether strictly fol-
lowed or not. — Editors.]

It would be ii great advantage to young and inexperienced
trappers if they could liave descriptions and engravings of the
foot-prints or tracks of animals. Even those skilled in the
trapper's art are at times deceived and led off on some " wild-
goose chase " for want of ,uch information. As an instance,
I will relate the following story : Once, when a boy, hunting
in a well-settled region in the State of New York, I discerned
otter signs. The otters appeared to have no regular abiding-
place, but wandered at will, up and down the stream, a dis-
tance of some four or five miles, between two lakes. There
were five or six of them, and so " shy " and wary were they,
that they defied all attempts to trap them. Having at length
discovered that they lurked near a certain " deep hole " in the
creek, early dawn found me near the spot, with my gun well
ciuirged with buckshot, and accompanied by my two dogs,
witli whose assistance I expected to get the otter out of the
water, wJiai I killed him. There was a i)iece of swamp which
I had to cross, in order to reach my post of observation. This
swamp lay so open to the creek that I crawled across it on my
knees, to escape, if possible, the notice of the otter, should any
be lurking near, dragging myself along through the deep and
fresh fallen snow, each leg as it trailed making a deep gouge,
and both forming two long, parallel gutters. In each of these

NOTES OF A HUNTER.

113

gutters walked a dog, soberly enough, much obliged to me, no
doubt, for t!\us making him a path. I reached my post, and
spent the morning without observing any thing unusual
Toward noon I arose and was about to start for home to din
ner, when I descried two men makino; their wav toward me
across the marsh, evidently much excited, eju^erlv ijesticu-
lating and incitint; one another to haste. Seeinj; me thev
stopped, and asked me whether I had " seen the otters."
Upon my replying in the negative, they laughed inconti-
nently, declaring that I was blinder than a bat ; that I must
have been asleep, &r. " Why," said one, observing my
astonishment at their conduct, " here are their tracks, cover-
ing yours, scarce a rod from where you sit. See ! here
they 've taken to water. We first came upon their trail as
we were crossing the swamp there. By their tracks, I make
them to be two of the biggest critters I ever so much as liearn
tell of. We hurried on, thinking we might perhaps catch
them ashore."

After some further conversation, they hurried on down
stream, leaving me, to use a common phrase, "■ rather mixed."
I was certain that no otter had come within many a rod of me.
I had watched eagerly for a single wave or ripple in the placid
waters of the stream from under the snow-covered bushes,
whose pendent boughs almost reached the water and formed
a curtain to the opj)osite bank. There was no sign, nor had
there been — not a trace. I was quite sure I could not have
passed an otter trail without noticing it — the unmistakable
scoop of his long, stovepipe-like body, with paw marks inter-
spersed along it. I retraced my steps to the spot where I
first struck the creek, after crossing the swamp, which was
the spot where they had said the otters had taken to water
again. Truly, there was their trail, a couple of them, big
ones at that. I called the dogs, and showed them the tracks.
To my surprise they were nowise excited about it; "snirfed"
and turned away. Extraordinary conduct ! — which raised a
latent suspicion. I doubted — thought — then light flashed
upon me, and I burst into a hearty laugh. It was a great
joke. Of course you understand it all. The long gouges

114

TRAPPING AND WOODCRAFT.

: 11

Ira

^iH

wliicli my kiu-cs liiul made in tho yicldinjir snow they had
mistaken for the (h'ug of tiie otters' bodies ; tlie prints of tlio
do^s* feet for the otters' paws. You may say they were super-
ficial observers. Excitement will have its ert'ects, and nothin<i
but correct information can in such a case counteract it.
" Knowledj^e is power."

The print of a raccoon's paw greatly resembles that of the
bare foot of a young child. It is easily recognized. The
bear, woodchuck, and skunk are also plantigrade ; but tho
print of their paws has little resemblance to the " coon's."

Otter will not eat bait, as a general thing ; but they will
smell of it, which is frequently just as good. Some stale
meat, or better, fish, will attract them, especially if it is placed
in a queer, unusual position, hung from a bush or stake, so as
to attract their attention. Inquisitive as they are, the trap])er
should take cai'e that the object or bait excites their curiosity
without alarming them.

I have been informed by experienced trapjiers that a wolf-
trap should be well rubbed with the green leaves of the male
fern or "brake" when they are to be had. They jjive a
humid, earthy smell to the trap, and the juice, when it evapo-
rates, appears to carry off ali scent of human cDiitact. I sug-
gest, however, that if trappers would lay our a little more
money in buckskin gloves they would be well renuuierated.
The contact of the bare hand with the trap is very objecticm-
able : you might as well hold out a noose and call a wild horse
to put his head in it. The gloves should only be used wlwo
handling the trap. Some rub the traps with blood, when
traj)ping carnivorous animals ; others substitute herbs, as
^kunk -cabbage, &c., for all animals. For the bear, the In-
dians say, the best bait is skunk-cabbage. They are said to
be very fond of it. I cannot verify this, for I have never
had an opportunity to try it. It would take as sturdy a pine-
bender as him that Theseus slew, to make a spring-pole that
would raise a bear beyond w if reach — for wolves will attack
and devour even a bear, wounded and hampered.

The raccoon may frequently be taken during a hard frost,
by cutting a hole in the ice on any stream which may be near

NOTES OF A HUNTER.

116

his habitation. A trap sut in this, will be almost sure of
him. Ho will rise at midnight to paddle in the water, though
the temperature stands at zero. Hence his Latin generic
name of " Lotor." •

I think that a live chicken is the best bait possible for the
wild cat, and also for all feline animals. Kresli, bloody meat,
however, of any description, is very enticing.

Till lately I have strongly adhered to the opinion that a
*' Black Lynx " was " dyed in the wool " — after death. Re-
cent researches have almost made me doubt. I have received
assurances from men whom I think reliable, that there is, or
has lately been, such an animal in existence. How it could
have escaped the sharp eyes of our naturalists, I cannot im-
agine. It is represented as being of large size, almost as
large as the black bear ; in form and general habits resem-
blinff the ordinary Canada lynx ; but is said to be as fe-
rocious as the Canada lynx is timid. The hair is said to be
thick, long and shaggy, and as black as Erebus. It is also
said to have great local attachments, never leaving the im-
penetrable wilderness of swamp which it inhabits. The Li-
dians have many wild and curious legends or traditions which
perhaps refer to tliis animal. He is doubtless — if he exists
— the " i/w><a;M» " or devil of the Indians of Maine. The
" Black Lynx " is said to be able to throw a full grown sheep
across his shoulders and make off with ease. " All the beasts
of the Avilderness dread him, and man himself cares not to in-
vade the retired fastnesses of the gloomy forests where he
rules absolute monarch."

Our backwoodsmen are almost as remarkable for their
" yarns " as Jack Tar, and they are generally about as reliable.
Did you ever see the pelt of a " Black Lynx," or of any
other similar dark-colored animal ? It must be a myth.*

The offensive smell of skunk, mav be removed from clothes

• Your " Black Lynx " is probably the wolverene, modified and exaggerated by
the imaginations of the trappers or hunters who caught a glimpse of it. The woU
verene is the Indian Devti, and is so called by the Indians of British America. It in
a very troublesome, sagacious, and destructive animal to the trappers, in the wildt
where it dwells, but most of the extraordinary stories told of it are probably
"yamp " like those formerly related by trappers of the beaver. — EorroKs.

I* I l<

TKAPPINO AND WOODCUAFT.

i:)\

by wrapping them in fresh hemlock boughs ; in twenty-four
hours they will be cleansed. They should be left out at
night. I have known many who preferred the smell of the
skinik to that of the mus(juash. As to eatiuij: a skunk, if
other game is not to i)e had, I should not be fastidious. A
skunk properly dressed and cooked is good eating.

Some think the flesh of tlie woodchuck or " ground-
liog " excellent, especially in the fall. He should be care-
fully skinned and cleaned immediately afti-r death. Some
dark strips of granular, brown liit, which lie along the inside
of the animal's legs, should be carefully cut away, or the
flesh will be spoilt. I have at times found the woodchuck
up a tree, almost always in iron-wood trees. It is hard to
dislodge them ; they hold on like grim death, and cannot be
shaken loose. What induces them to climb I cannot tell :
tlujy never ap])ear to have any thing to do there. They get
up amongst the small branches, and nuich resemble a knot or
"bunch" of the wood. Their color also corresjionds well
with the bark of the iron-wood, and renders it difficult to
detect them. I have been informed that they will climb hol-
low trees at times to escape pursuit, and that it is almost im-
])()ssible to dislodge them by manual force. The rabbit, also
— an animal which from its peculiar conformation would not
bo suspected of climbing — has frequently ham found in the
hollows of trees. It is supposed to climb like the old
chimney-sweeps, being found with its back braced against
the side of the hollow. By rabbit, I mean the small brown
hare peculiar to this country. Their habits are similar to
those of the great white or northf>rn hare. They will
sometimes inhabit a deserted woodchuck hole.

m .

NOTES OF A HUNTER.

117

A f»no{l camp-kettle is a prime necebsity. The li{»hteHt iin*l
best cump-kt'ttlu is of *' pressed tin." (Jno of from three to
four (juiirts is worth uhout one liolhir, an«l is snfKcient for
two or three persons. Jt is very n<^lit and convenient, and
should have a Hd or cover with a wiro liandle which will fold
down sideways, so that when inverted it couKI he used as a
disli. Tile rim of this lid, or dish, should ' c (|uite hroad, so
as to make it capacious. It mi^ht he used to hold a portion
of tlu^ contents of the kettle, unish or jjotatoes, &c. There
should be a lijiht wire chain attached to the handle of the
pail by which to suspend it. For a hu!itint;-knife, 1 use a
bowie, and have found it an excellent tool. The sheath
which comes with a knife is not good for umch. I generally
replace it with a strong wooden one, covered with leather.
I take a flat piecre of strong wood of the requisite shape, and
saw into it lengthwise — the blade of the knife to be laid,
edge first or down, into the space cut by the saw, and the hack
being towards the opening. This wooden case prevents the
knife from cutting you, in case you should fall upon it, of
which there is great danger where the ordinary pasteboard,
leather-covered sheath is used. The sheath and knife should
be attaclied to the belt by a frog, which should not be a per-
manent portion of the sheath. The army " camp knife " is
a very nice thing for hunters ; you have your spoon, fork, and
knife in very compact shape — cost, one dollar and a half.
A saw and an auger, with some large spikes, wrought nails,
butts or hinges, staples, and a padlock or bolt are needed
around the " home shanty." They tend to " make things
comfortable " and safe. Your matches should be of the best ;
lucifers, or " Vienne water-proof." Their tips only are water-
proof. I render them absolutely water-proof by dipping them
in a solution of shell-lac in alcohol. This makes the " sticks "
of the matches quite impervious to moisture. The solution of
shell-lac, should not be too thick, or they will not burn well.
When properly prepared in this manner, they may be im-
mersed in water for twenty-four hours, and will then (if taKen
out and wiped dry) instantly ignite and burn well. As a finat

4 i.

118

TRAPPING AND WOOD-CRAFT.

Ft 1

precaution, wlu'ii tlioy j re so dry that there is no (lander of
their adhering to one another, I put them in a warm, dry bot-
tle, with waxed or water-proof stopper or cork. This is the
true way to carry any sort of matches.

I always prefer to put up matches, cajjs, t^-c, in several dif-
ferent packages or places, so that in case of accident all is not
lost. This system should not, however, be carried to an ex-
treme, as it is then both confusins; and troui)ic.-.< me. livery
thing should be plainly labeled. Boxes, &c., containing a mis-
cellaneous assortment of stuflf", should have a list on the out-
side, or on the inside of the cover.

As to provisions, I should leave out beans, which to be
good require time for preparation, and instead, should carry
a package of " Helf-raisinfj fiovr " — wheat — r.n excellent
article. With it you can make biscuit or l)read on sh»)rt
notice. It is to be had of grocers generally, I believe, put
up in six pound packages. Pork or lard, buttei and sugar,
are all the luxuries needed, except perhaps coffee and tea.
Y .u can fatten on them. Beef, butter, sugar, Indian meal,
&c., are said to contain a ffreat jtronortion of streno;th-<:ivinii
food.

I quite agree with you on the subject of clothes, but will
make a few suggestions. I prefer to have my boots Hrst
sewed in ihe ordinary manner, and then to have a light " Na-
poleon tap," pogged on with steel or copper nails. I soak a
hot mixture of mutton-tallow, bees-wax, and rosin into the
soles f*f boots, till they will absorb no more ; such boots wear
out slowly and the soles never set soaked or water-logged.
The preparation I recommend is far superior to coal or com-
mon tar for this purpose ; the boots do not " squeak " as
those tarred will. There should be more tallow than wax,
and more wax than rosin.

The trapper should always be provided with scissors,
needles, pins, thread, &c.

Pork, bread, meal, &c., should be put up in neat boxes or
bags, as nearly water and air-tight as possible, each neatly
and iegibly labeled, so as to pack easily and be known at
fight, without rummaging. Bags should be painted or cther-

^!!1 i

NOTES OF A IIUNTKH.

119

wise w!it(.>r-|)r()ofe{l. If load paints are used, the article in-
closed should be put in a paper harr first ; white lead is, as
all should know, very poisonous. Boiled linseed oil is apt to
rot the material of" linen or (-(ttton ba^s.

As to eookiui^, I would advise all those who are at all fas-
tidious as to their (bod to carry some vinegar and curry-pow-
der, &c. I cati assiu'c you curry-j)owder improves a schyte-
poke wonderfully. Without further reference; to thiif subject,
I nuist say that onions come very j2;ood at times. Potatoes
iJso are <^ood, either baked or boiled ; they are also healthy,
portable, and convenient.

I can tell you of one of the nicest thiii<j,s known, namely,
pork fritters ; mt-lt some lard in a saucepan or spider,
make a stiff batter, but not too stiff either, of wheat or rye
(boiled Indian meal mi<j;ht do) ; cut slices of pork, dip in the
batter, and when the melted fat in the pan is (juite hot, drop
in your fritters, (^ook till li<i;ht brown. They are delicious.
I'ry them any day ; it is not at all necessary to have an appe-
tite.* If some other drink besides water, tea, or coffee is con-
sidered absolutely necessary, carry lemons or oran<;es. With
these, and plenty of suo;ar, joined with the cold clear water of
some mountain spring, he who is not satisfied deserves never
to be. Sugar and lemon-juice will make even warm swamp-
water palatable t(< a thirsty man.

You give directions for the preservation of an overplus of
venison, &c. This reminds me to ask how would you preserve
a moose from wolves and other depredators in case you should
be obliged to leave the carcass, to find help to remove it? J
have heard it said, that the half-blown bladder of the animal
suspended from the branch of a tree or bush over the carcass
would answer ; others say that a rope or even a cord loosely
hung on the surrounding twigs wouKl be sufHcient, the wolf
bupposing it a trajt.f

* Wo think a substitute lor pork .should In- iuvL'iitt'd nr adopted. It is about U
bad Tur corrupting; the blood as tliu akohuiiv t-timulaiits which tlio above writer coii-
dpmns. Hiittor is good, but for ail trying operations is less ecoiioniicHJ, iind less sat-
isfactory than ulire oil. Pure, sweet olive oil, put up in iiir-tiglit or closely corked
aiL% or flasks, would be portable and an excellent portion of the truppfr's outfit.
— Editora.

* Woivds will nut lueddle with a dead deer if it in laid by a io^; and a f««

!■< !

120

TRAPPING AND WOOD-CRAFT.

UiJ

Wf (■

As lor |)rej)arations against insects — they are of a very
doubtful bencHt. Those who wish to be oonifortable, had
better leave 7'uin alone. *' Prevention is better than cure."
I am satisfied that nius<|[uitoes and gnats rarely trouble any
one whose blood is not in a feverish and unhealthy state.
Such a condition of the blood may result from sickness, but
always follows the use of intoxicating alcoholic stinudants. 1
have fished from a canoe at night-full, when these insects
arose like clouds, apparently I'rom the water, without material
discomfort, while my companion suffered agonies. I told iiim
(as a joke) it was because I was a radical and he a " coj)-
perliead." Your delicate, metropolitan dandy, who adores
champagne supp.ers, and warms himself with brandy, had
better keep ciear of the North Woods. A person of frugal
habit and diet can bear bites and wounds, which would be-
come festering sores and gangrened ulcers upon the body of
the intemperate. If a preparation is desired, I should substi-
tute hard mutton-tallow for hog's lard in the peimyroyal
ointment. Mutton-tallow is wortl>'> of a word of i)raise ; to
suppress an itching, to <^mm>' a bite or a galled s|)ot, where the
cuticle has been rubbt i otf, it is ri?ally invaluable.

In case furs have to be cached thev mav be cased in a tin
or sheet iron can, proof against small animals, and then put
far beyond the reach of bears or woherenes. This is a ijood
way to dispose of them at any time.

You should patent some light ujachine for setting the
springs of laige traps, by lever or jack-screw.*

branclifs are cut tVoii) ft ti'oe and thrown over it. Tln'v fear a trap. Tlic deer or moose
mav al.-^o lie out uj), ami tlie parts .swnnji up m small trees. I'.eml down a sapling aa
stiiut asNcui can handle, cut ott' a liii i han^' the meat to the huok, and let the tree
Bwiii^ hack. It will lie out ol' reach of tiic wolves, and the tret; will he too snnill
lor bears to liiinb. .Moose-wood hark makes a gooil substitute for a rope. —

KltlTDlCS.

• Sui'h eontriv ances are eumbersiunt; l<i llu' trajiper. I'or setting larjje, (iouble-
Kpriu); traps, he should usi' double levers made of wood. .\ll that is neees-arv to be
carried into the woods to do this is fourstronj; leathern strajis t'uniished with bu'kles.
When you wi-h to set a trap, cut lour levers of a hIzo and lennlh (jroportioned to the
size of the trap. Take two of them, make a loop of one ol the straps and .slip it
over one end of each ; tlien brinj.c *!>" trap spriu;; between them, press them tof^elher
and adjust u loop over the othei ends of the lever.s. Serve tlio other spring in th«
Muiu wav. Now spread the Juws, adjust the do^ and pan, loosen the levers and

WOTES OF A nUNTKR.

121

lie

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A good sledge for liauling stuff over tlie crust or snow in
winter should be six feet lung, eigiiteen inches broad, and six
or eight inches high ; as light as |)ossible, held by iron braces
running over the top and d()\vu the sides ; very lightly shod.*

I am sorry I have made this article so long, but the fact is,
once started, I have found it hard to stop. I take much in
tcrost in trapping, and seldom am hapj.ier than when I trav-
erse the wilderness in pursuit of fur. Your book has been
a great treat to me. It fills an odd little corner in literature,
which but for vou, n;i"lit ever have remained vacar.t.

1'. i:

vnur trap is set. The straps weigh only a few oum-ps aiul are fasily carried. — l!i>-
I rou8.

• The Indian aledge is better. It is made of a sinuotli board .six or eight f'jft long,
•nd fifteen or twenty inches wide, bent up in a curve at the for-^urjl end. It nt iight,
does not sink iu the auow or cut the cru^t, and draws easily. — Kuiturs.

'I (

PLAN OF A TKAPPING CAxMPAIGN.

Ih VKVVM M. GUNTER.

m 1

I UEGIN a trapi)!!!^ campaign, by selecting my liunting
ground, Iniilding my shanties, making my canoes, carrying
my traps to proper localities, and carrying in provisions.

In selecting a trapping ground it is a great advantage to
get where you can travel hy water as nuich as possible. You
are lik ly in that case to caj)ture more mink and otter. I
juanage in this way : I take a trip in a circle, following lakes,
rivers and small streams, and striking across from one to the
other, till I come round to the starting point. At this point I
build a wiiiwaui. This I do in the followinf; manner: I
cur four crotches, each about six feet long, and sharpen their
lower ends. I stick two of them into the ground eight feet
apart. Then I place a pole four inches in diameter on the
top. This forms a plate Ibr one side of the building. Four
feet distant, and |)arallel to these, I place the other two
orotches with a similar plate. Then I place other poles across
the ends frojn one plate to the other. This done, the frame
of the wigwam is Hnished, ready to inclose. Now to do this
with only an axe would bother many. I do it in this way;
Fi'll a cedar or any other tree that splits free, and cut off
logs about twelve feet long. Split these up into boards for
the roof. Lay one end of the boards on the ground, the other
on the plate. Cover both sides in this way. Thus your roof
is finished, leaving a space about two feet wide along tiie peak
for a chimney. Then split some more boards for the gable
ends. These are short and may be placed in an upright posi-
tion. The door may be a split board. It should be o])posite
the fire, and open to the north to prevent smoke. Fill the

PLAN OF A CAMPAIGN.

123

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crevices with moss to keep the wiiul out, and the structure
is finislied. Build your fire in the centre ; that makes a pai-
tition ; you have one room for a sleeping apartment, the other
for a dining-room. This is my home shanty. It is quite
necessary to have other shanties on the trapping line, to st<»|>
in over night, as I always calculate to be three days going
round a circle, in setting and tending traps.

What I call an outfit tor a trapping campaign, or at least
what I take, is, one large axe to the hoiui' shanty, where I do
my cooking, a tin six (juart j)ail, for carrying water and other
|)urp()ses, a |)int cup, a sheet-iron bake-pan with lid, for baking
bread and cooking game in, and a blanket, leaving it at the
home shanty. 1 always carry a gun, (and prefer a double l)ar-
reled shot and rirte gini,Vi small axe weighing tv'u or twelve
ounces, a pocket knife, a butcher knife in my belt, and from
eighty to one hundred and tiftv traps tor one line. W there
are many beaver you want one or two traps to each iiimily.
Sometimes I use the No. 1 Newhouse trap with good success
for otter and beaver ; and I have caught four wolves in that
sized trap on land. But I prefer for my own use, for taking
beaver and otter, the No. '2 or fox ti-ap. In the way of pro-
visions, I carry butter and flour, and some tea, salt, and
pe])per. For meat I depend on my gun and traps.

In setting traps attention should be j»aid to the signs of
game. These are well known to old trappers, and are learned
by careful observation.

Beaver can easily be found in the fall bv their cuttinir tim-
ber for their winter supply of food, and for repairing or building
dams. During the summer they play about, laying up nothing,
and feeding on aquatic plants till about the first of October.
At this time, dam beaver begin to build their dams, and draw
in timber for winter supplies. Bank ()eaver never build dams
but live in the banks of streams, in holes lined with grass and
leaves. Their holes start from the bottom of the stream, or
at least three or four feet under water, rising uj) into the bank,
above the level of the water, so that thev are dry to sleen in.
Bank beaver feed like other beaver, drawing sticks into their
dwellings, eating the bark off, and then carrying the refuse

124

PRACTICAL TRAPPING.

ii-

out into tlie water again. In buildinjj their dams beaver al-
ways cljoose a location at the lieatl of rapids, where they <'an
have open water in winter. Bank beaver generally build their
habitations along the sides of rapids.

Beavers in travelling on land generally have one particular
path which they follow ; therefore, if you set a trap at eacli
end of the path you are quite sure to capture them. The
trap should be set a little on one side of the middle of the path,
and three or four inches under water. In a single trap, set
in this way, I have caught two otters, four beavers, and seven
muskrats, during one trapping season.

The otters' haunts are detected by their slides, and the
freshness of their works on the slides.

Mink, marten and fisher, have no ])articular signs except
their foot-prints and droppings, generally where they cross
from one stream to another. Minks have certain run-ways
the same as deer. On these run-wavs thev alwavs stop in
some old root or hollow log. When you find one of these
places, you can tell whether it i'j a mink haunt by their drop-
])ings. Set your trap in or near these holes and you are sure
to catch any mink that passes. I have caught four minks in
one season, in one hollow log, without using any bait. If
there arc deer run-ways on your hunting grounds, marten and
fisher will follow those paths, in onKr to pick up provisions.
In these places the wolf is the marten's and fisher's provider.
Nearly all the deer that are kilied by wolves, are killed on the
run-ways, and the marten and fisher follow the wolf to pick up
the fragments he leaves. Hence» whenever I cross a deer's
*un-way I set a trap or two, and generally with success.

During the last five years I have been trapping in [)artner-
ship with Mr. Robert Holland, an a(«^-<Hnplished deer-hunter
and trap}KM\ and bv way of conclusion to this article I will
give the results of <>ur labors for three years. Our method is
to carry on farming during the summer months and trap in
the fall, winter, and early spring. In 18G8 we caught ninety-
eight minks fifty -two martens, fourteen fishers, ten otters, fifty-
three iMMvers, five wolves thirteen raccoons, seven foxes, and
two hundred and eighty nuiskrats. In 1864 we caught eighty-

PLAN OF A CAiMPAIGN.

125

nine minks, forty-seven martens, nine fishers, nine otters, ten
foxes, six raccoons, two luuulred and forty muskrats, five
wolves, and sixty-two beavers. In 1865 we kept no account
of the number of skins, but our sales amounted to $505.
During these three years we caught one hundred and thirty-
seven deer.

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I'M

BOAT BUILDING.

Hv T. L. PITT.

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A BOAT is often an indispensable part of the trapper's out«
Ht. I will give a i'ew general rnles for the construction of
the several kinds in use.

THE HA UK CAXOK.

This is tile favorite boat in those rejiions wjiere the
canoe-birch grows to perfection. It is of Indian origin, and
usually of Indian construction. Few white men are sufficiently
versed in the art of niakijig it to rival an experienced Indian
in the nicety of work.

The great advantage of the bark canoe, or tlie " bark," as
it is usually called, is its lightness. On this account it is ])re-
ferred on all streams where portaging is necessary. A large
sized one, fifteen to twenty feet long, may be carried without
<H(liculty on the shoulders of two men ; while a small one,
ten or twelve feet in length, can be carried by one man.
'I'hey are built of all sizes, from ten to thirty-five feet in
lengti;. The largest ones will carry a dozen persons or more,
besides considerable freight.

In building a " bark," a cedar gunwale is first prepared.
This should be composed of two strips for each side of the
canoe, about one fourth of an inch thick, and an inch or more
in width, one to go inside the edge and the other outside.
The bark is then procured. That part which forms the bot-
tom of the canoe should be in one whole piece, carefully
peeled from a tree of suitable size and free from knots. If
not large enough for the whole boat, strips may be sewed on
to it. After the bark is ready, the length of the proposed

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! H

■

THK LOG CANOE OU DUO-OUT.

127

canoe is mensiirod off on tlu» ground, and at eacli end of the
space two stakes are driven Hrnily into the earth, cdoso to-
gether. The ends <tf the bark are then folded on the mid-
dle line, with the inside of the bark outward, and inserted
between the stakes. These ends should extend beyond the
stakes far enough to allow a strip of bark to be folded ovei
them, and the whole firmly sewed together. This makes a
rude form of the canoe. Underneath each end, near the
stakes, a small log is placed, for the canoe to rest upon, and
to let the bottom form an appropriate curve downwards.
The gunwale is then placed in position, the bark fitted be-
tween the strips, and the whole sewed together with a wind-
ing stitch, regularly, or in sections, the entire length. Next
the inside of the canoe is lined with strips of cedar, from one
fourth to one half of an inch thick, and an inch or more
wide, placed longitudinally and fastened in place with pine
pitch. These strips may be several feet long, and should
neatly lap where their ends meet. Knees or ribs are then
made. These are strips of ash, or any wood that is firm and
elastic, and shouhl be about one fourth of an inch thick, and
from one to two inches wide. They are placed crosswise of
the canoe, bent down to the bottom and sides, and their ends
securely fastened under the gunwales. The}' should be placed
close together or with alternate spaces between them, the
whole length of the canoe. They strengthen the canoe, keep
it in shape, and keep the lining in its ])lace. When all this is
done, the whole inside of the canoe and all the seams are
smeared with pitch, and two or three cross-pieces are placed
between the gunwales to keep the sides in shape. The
sewing is all done with a square or three-cornered awl, using
fibrous cedar, spruce, or tamarack roots, soaked in hot water,
for thread.

THE LOO CANOK OR DUO-OUT.

This is a kind of boat often built by the trapper. Its con-
struction is simple ; it may be made quite light ; it is strong,
serviceable, and durable. A log canoe may be made of pine,
whitewood, butternut, black-asli, basswood, or cotton-wood.
The best are made of pine. A log suitable for this purpose

•i ■

■BS^

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

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1.25

I- IIIM

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6" —

Phofe)graphic

Sciences

Corporation

A, -fc

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 872-4503

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128

BOAT BUILDING.

should be large, sound, and free from knots. It should Hrsi
be hewn on two opposite sides to a size corresponding to the
depth of the intended canoe. On one side the hewing should
not be on a straight line, but should run out at the ends to
the surface of the log, in order to leave a suitable rise at bow
and stern. This hewing is usually performed before the log
is cut off from the tree. When this is aLcomplished the log
is turned down, with that side uppermost which is to form the
gunwale. Next, the outlines of the sides are struck with a
line and chalk, the latter being usually a burnt stick. The
general rule for laying out a canoe, is to measure the log into
three equal sections. The two end sections are for the bow
and stern respectively. For a large canoe the bow should be
hewn somewhat sharj)er than the svern. At the same time
the width of the boat at the ])oiiu where the curves of the
bow start, below the gunwale, shcnld be a little greater than
at any other point. This difFerer>ce can be easily attained in
finishing off the sides, after the general shape is struck out.
If the canoe is very large it may be desirable to attend to this
point in the first hewing. The object in giving the canoe a
greater width at this part is, to give ease of motion in the
water. The same principle that governs in the construction
of larger vessels, and is seen in the shape of the duck or goose,
applies to the shaping of a large canoe. A small canoe, fur
running deer, and designed to never carry more than two
persons, may be curved with the same sharpness at both ends,
and have no variation in its width. It may then be run either
end foremost. A canoe made in this way, if narrow and very
sharp, in skillful hands, may be one of the swiftest and most
efi'ective boats. Both ends of a well-made canoe are curved
vipward from the middle of the gunwale, and the stern rises a
little from the line of the bottom. When the tree is sound
(and none other should be used), a canoe may be worked
very thin, and thus be so light as to be easily carried. With
all these points in mind the canoe is hewn to nearly its final
outside shape ; the inside is dug out with axes and an adze ;
finally it is neatly and smoothly finished — on the outside
with axe and draw-shave, and on the inside with a round

BATEAUX.

.29

edged adze or liowel. The tools required m making a log
canoe are, a good common axe, a broad axe, a common adze.,
a howel or round adze, and a large draw-shave. A small
auger is also desirable for gauging the thickness of the bottom
by boring, and, if obtainable, a cross-cut saw saves labor.

SPRUCE BARK CANOES.

Rough, temporary canoes may be made of spruce or bass-
wood bark, by simply folding the ends and sewins or nailinc
them together, adding gunwales and lining, putting in a few
knees and cross-pieces, and smearing all the joints with pitch.

BATEAUX

Are made of thin boards, nailed together in tlie form of a
flat-bottomed boat. Select two boards that are sound and free
from knots, and of a length and width equal respectively to the
length and depth of the proposed boat. Set the boards up edge-
wise, the width on the gunwale apart, and nail on a cross-piece
midway between the ends. Then turn the boards over and,
with a draw-shave, shape the other edges to a proper curve
for the bottom. Next, nail a board across the middle of the
bottom ; then bring the ends of the boards together and nail
tliem to the bow and stern pieces. The bottom is then made
by nailing boards crosswise, care being taken to give tlie sides
a proper curve. After all the parts are put together, the
joints are caulked, and the bateau is then ready for use.

•" i ^»

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SNOW-SHOES.

The proper form of a snow-shoe and the mode of fastening
it to the foot are shown in the illustration on the opposite page.
The frame of the shoe should be made of ash or some other
strong, elastic wood. The interlacing should be composed of
strips of deer-skin, moose-skin, or untanned neat's hide. Two
methods are followed in fastening the interlacing to the sides
or bow of the shoe. In one case the bow is firmly and closel}'
wound with strips of skin, and the interlacing is fastened
into the winding. In the other case the winding is omitted
and the interlacing is fastened thi'ough holes bored at regular
intervals in the bow. Snow-shoes are indispensable to the
trapper wherever deep snows prevail.

OIL FOR FIRE-ARMS.

-•— -

The trapper should always be provided .vith oil for his guns.
Probably the best kind he can use is purified neat's-foot oil.
It is prepared in this way : Drop a few strips of lead or some
shot into a bottle of the oil and then place it in the sun's rays.
A heavy deposit will take place, filling the lower part of the
bottle. The upper part becomes bright and limpid, and by a
repetition of the process may be so effectually purified that it
will nwer be liable to viscidity. It is in this manner that
watchmakers purify the oil used in lubricating their delicate
machinery. Oil prepared from the fat of the lluflfed Grouse
is also good for fire-arms when the above cannot be obtained.

H
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O
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NARRATIVES.

[In the first three of the following articles illustrating the trapper's life,
we introiluoe to our readers the Hutchins family, the father and two sons
— a trio of "mighty hunters." — Editors.]

AN EVENING WITH AN OLD TRAPPER.

By W. a. IILNDS.

Of all story-tellers, give nie those who have spent the
greater portion of their lives in hunting, fishing, and trappino- ;
who have lived for weeks on wild game ; who have tramped
for months alone through the forests ; who have camped on
green boughs, or kept themselves comfortable in deer-skins,
when the thermometer was far below .wro. Such men inspire
me with a degree of respect like tha«- entertained for all whose
lives have been heroic. Soldiers of the woods, they have
often endured hardships superior to those who have carried
the knapsack in the open field. Though in many instances
unfamiliar with books, they yet have a power of graphic and
forcible description, seldom possessed by those who have made
language their study. After conversing with them an hour,
one feels as tliougli he had himself encountered the bear and
the panther, and been successful in hunting the otter and
mink.

It would be difficult to find, at least in the Eastern and
Middle States, a better representative of this class than Mr.
John Hutchins, now a resident of Manlius, N. Y.

Born in Portland, Somerset County, Maine, November 10,
1801, he is consequently now (1865) nearly sixty-four years
of age ; but he is still " eager for the chase," and is plan-
ning a trapping expedition into Canada for the coming au-

132

NARRATIVES.

It ;

i I

tumn. For more than half a century, he has spent a por-
tion of eacli year in trapping and liunting. In his tenth year
lie caught and shot seventy-three squirrels, six blue jays, one
mink, one weasel, and six partridges. When fourteen years
of age he caught a bear which had killed a cow in the neigh-
borhood where he lived in Maine ; and he estimates the num-
ber of animals which he has caught in traps, or otherwise
destroyed, as follows: 100 moose; 1000 deer; 10 caribou;
100 bears; 50 wolves; 500 foxes; 100 raccoons; 25 wild
cats ; 100 lynx ; 150 otter ; 600 beaver ; 400 fishers ; mink
and marten by the thousands ; muskrats by the ten thousands.

After reading the above list, no one will doubt his skill and
wisdom in wood-craft, or questio.i the probability of the advent-
ures he relates. He is always ready to communicate to
others what he lias learned in his long life in the woods ; and
he takes the same pleasure in recounting his adventures that
the scar-worn soldier takes in telling of battles, sieges, and
marches. On meeting Mr. Hutchins a short time since, in
company with his son, I interrogated him in true Yankee
style, as follows : —

" In what j)art of the country have von traj)ped and
hunted?"

" Mostly in Maine, Lower Canada, New Brunswick, and
New York, but some in Vermont and in Michigan."

" At what seasons of the year do you generally trap ? "

" I generally commence about the first of November, and
tiap till the first of April. There is no certainty of securing
prime fur before the first of November, and but few kinds are
good after the first of April. The three kinds — beaver, otter,
and muskrat — are, however, good till the first of May; and
the fur of the otter is good even as late in the season as
June."

'* Do you generally go alone, or with companions ? "

" I have trapped alone about one fourth of the time. It is
generally more pleasant, but less profitable, to have compan-
ions. When game is plenty, it answers well to have part-
ners ; but I would recommend never to have more than two,
and think it nearly always better to have only one coiapan*
ion."

AN EVENING WITH AN OLD TRAPPER.

188

and

" How many animals l:ave you generally taken on a wm*
ter's trip ? "

" That depends, of course, entirely upon my fortune in
securing good trapping ground. My son Samuel and I
trapped one season in Upper Canada, and caught forty-seven
beaver ; and the furs of other animals, which we caught at
the same time, would bring as much money as that of the
beaver. The best specimen of luck I ever had was in setting
twenty-seven traj)s, and binding a mink, fisher, or marten in
twenty-five of them. That was on my second trip to Can-
ada.""

" How much money did you generally make ? "

"That is another difficult question. I have made from $5
to 175 a month."

"Well, then, how much did you make in your best trip?"

" The best trip I ever made was forty years ago. I went
out on Dead River, in the State of Maine. I was absent
from home just one month (started December 3d, and re-
turned January 3d) ; sold my fur for ninety-seven dollars,
and fur was then very cheap. The same fur would now
brinj; several hundred dollars. Two of us have often made
$100 a month, or f50 apiece."

" What do you take for an outfit ? "

" A double-barrel gun ; a liatchet (I used to carry an axe,
but now prefer the hatchet) ; a butcher-knife ; a pocket-knife ;
a camp-kettle holding about six quarts ; a frying-pan ; a pint
dipper or cup, and a spoon. I go lightly clad, never taking
an overcoat, and only a single woolen blanket. For a win-
ter's campaign, I take 40 lbs. flour, 10 lbs. pork, 6 qts. beans,
5 lbs. sugar, and 1 lb. of tea. The two last items might be
dispensed with. I have lived a week at a time in the woods,
eating nothing but moose meat ; and Reuben Howard, a trap-
per from Connecticut, says he has lived two months at a time
on deer's meat alone."

" If you were starting now, would n't you take some little
conveniences for cookmg and camping, beside those you have
mentioned ? "

" No ; the longer one lives the life of a hunter and trapper.

184

NAKRATIVES.

I ^i

the better lie learns to g^et along with few conveniences, and
the more desirous he becomes of avoidino; luggage."

" How many tnips do you take along ? "

" When I first went trapping, I thought six or eight traps
enough ; but steel-traps are so much better, and more easily
tended than woodeTi traps and dead-falls, that I now take one
hundred muskrat or mink traps — sometimes even one hun-
dred and fifty — besides a few otter traps, and, if I am going
into a beaver country, a dozen beaver traps."

" But you can't take all these into the woods at once? "

" No ; I first select my trapping ground, and then ' make
a line,' as trappers say ; i. e., carry into the woods three or
four back-loads of traps, and deposit them in safe places along
the line on which I intend to trap, which sometimes extends
from twenty to forty miles, fi-om one stream to another, or
from one lake to anotlicr."

" How many traps can one man tend ? "

" That depends, of course, upon circumstances. Where
game is plenty, fifty traps will keep you skinning and stretch-
ing ; but in other places you might tend one hundred and fifty
or even two hundred traps."

" How did you camp at night ? "

" There is a good deal to be learned about camping out.
When I go into the woods to trap for any length of time, I
generally build a home-shanty of logs or bark. If I want to
build one which will last three or four years, I make it of logs,
notching or dovetailing the ends, and laying them up in block-
house style, filling the cracks with moss, and making a roof
of split cedar or bark. Sometimes I make a shanty by simply
driving down two crotched sticks, placing a pole on them, and
sticking down poles all around excepting in front, and cover-
ing them all over with spruce bark. When near the home-
shanty I sleep there of course, but at other times I have no
covering excepting a single blanket. I find a big log, and
make my bed of boughs on that side of it least exposed to the
wind. If the snow is deep, I select my camping-place on the
hill-side, digging down to the ground to make a fire, and sleep-
ing mvself on the snow below, so that the blaze of the fire

AN EVENING WITH AN OLD TRAPPER.

185

will shine directly upon me. When travelling by water, I
draw the boat on to the bank at night, partly turn it up, and
sleep under it, building a fire a few feet distant in front. I
generally have slept very soundly in the woods."

"I have kept you answering questions a long time ; but I
shall not leave fully satisfied unless you will jrivo me an ac-
count of son.e interesting adventures, of which you must have
had many in your half-century's hunting and trapping."

" My experiences have not been so thrilling as those related
in many books ; besides, I -uTi a poor hand to tell stories."

" Tell him how you once nearly froze to death," said his
son John, always pleased to hear his father repeat his advent-

ures.

Well, then," replied Mr. Hutchins, who only waited for
a little urgmg, " I will tell you of my

ADVENTURE ON THE DEAD RIVER.

" It must have taken ])lace nearly forty years ago in the
State of Maine. It was on my second long trapping expedi-
tion. I went into the woods with one Captain John Churchill,
a great trapjior and hunter. After we had killed nine moose,
we concluded that one of us had better return home and no-
tify our friends and neighbors that they could have plenty of
moose meat by coming into the woods after it. And so I
started home for that purpose. We were then on the head-
waters of the Androscoggin, about thirty miles from the head-
waters of the Dead River, where our home-shanty was. The
plan was for me to follow our line of traps, taking along what
fur I found, and skinning and stretching it at the home-shanty,
where I was to remain the first nifjht. But instead of doinji
so, I thought, on reaching the shanty, as the sun was still an
hour and a half high, that T would leave the fur for Churchill
to skin, and go on several miles further. It was fifteen miles
down the Dead River to Folsom's house, but I thought 1
could. go about halfway to the place where Captain Churchill
and I had camped when we went into the woods. So I
tramped on. It was one of the cold, sharp, biting days in
February, and the wind blew and the snow flew awfully. I

iiSifjO

186

NARK ATI VES.

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got to tlie slianty about ('ark, and carefully collected a pile of
dry sticks for kindling, spread my l)lanket in the corner, and
prepared to have a comfortahlo nio;ht of it. Then I went to
my knapsack to «»;et my flint and steel to lifjht my fire with,
but they were missing. I searched every corner in vain, and
finally concluded that I had left them back in camj). By this
time it was dark, and piercing cold, and I hardly knew what
to do. It was too late to think of returning to the camp, and
I knew I should freeze to death if I remained where I was.
So, after thinking it all over, I concluded to go on to Fol-
som's. I thought if I could get to the river the ice would be
strong enough to hold me, and it would be easier travelling,
and a straight road.

" I continued my course down the river until I came to a
series of falls. Here tlie river was open, and I was obh'ged
to leave the ice and travel on land until I got by the falls.
After, as I thought, I had got by all danger, and supposing
the ice strong enough to bear me, I grasped an alder-bush and
slid down on to the ice. But the ice was n't as strong as I had
calculated, and so, instead of landiug on solid bottom, I went
straight through. I went in up to my neck, and was only
saved from going completely under by the alder-bush, to which
I still clung. I managed by dint of some maneuvering to dis-
engage myself from my snow-shoes and knapsack. These, with
my hatchet, I shoved from me on the ice. I then pulled my-
self out and went on ; but before I had gone twenty rods my
clothes were frozen stiff. I kept on for some distance further
down stream, to where the river was not so rapid, and con-
cluded to try the ice again. But I had no better luck than
before. The ice gave way, and in I went again, just as I did
before. I felt pretty bad, I can tell you, about that time ;
but I managed to get out and go on again. The walking was
so bard that I could n't help trying the ice once more. I
ought to have known better, or at least taken better care,
after getting in twice ; but somehow I did n't. I slid down on
to the ice, and in an instant found myself in a little worse sit-
uation than I had been before. The ice was nearly but not
quite thick enougli to bear me ; and I was so far from shore

AN EVENING WITH AN OLD TRAPPER.

137

tills time that I (.'ould not [)ull myself out. I floiiiulereJ
about among the broken ice and water for quite a little while ;
biit finally manafjed to relieve myself of my lujj<^a<;e some-
what after the same manner as before. I then succeeded in
reaehin<^ the shore, not in very j^ood trim for travel either,
for the ice, which had frozen on my clothes durincj my three
duckings made them verv stiff and heavy.

" In spite of all this I managed to get to Fnlsom's ; but
here I had another (lisap|>ointment. No one was there, and
the fire was all out. Of course I could not stop in the con-
dition I was in, as I should have frozen to death iii half an
hour. The nearest house was at Reed's, fifteen miles further
down the river, and there wag no other way for me but to get
there as soon as ))ossible.

'* So I started down the river for Reed's. It was eleven or
t'velve o'clock at night, and I had a pretty hard time of it. but
got there at last. Reed's house was on a hill ; and when J got
to the foot of that g'er' hill I could n't walk up it to save my
lift' ; I had to crawl up on my hands and knees. Finallv I
got to the house and rapped at the door, and Reed came and
opened it. I suppose I did look rather forlorn ; at any rate,
he seemed almost frightened at first. ' For God's sake,
Hutchins, is this you ? ' were the first words be said. I
tix|)lained my circumstances to him, and he took me into the
house, built up a big fire and thawed me out, and then put
me to bed, where I slept till the next day at noon, and then
got up, feeling as well as usual, only a little stiff.

" It was thirty miles from the place on the Androscoggin
where I first started from, to our camp ; fifteen miles from
there to Folsom's ; and fifteen miles from Folsom's to Reed's,
— in all sixty miles. I started from the Androscoggin at
eight o'clock in the morning, and got to Reed's at half past
three the next morning, making the whole sixty miles in nine-
teen hours and a half. I think if I had allowed myself to be
frightened or disheartened, I should have gone under ; but 1
kept up good heart, and came out all right."

m t

A YOUNG TRAPPER'S EXPERIENCE

By JOHN P. HUTCHINS.

My earliest recollections are of the forest. My father was
an experienced hunter and trapper, and when I was but five
years of age I accompanied him on one of his expeditions into
the great Maine wilderness in search of game and fish. I
have a dim recollection on that occasion of hooking on to a
very large fish, and of being unable, with my slender strength,
to get him into the boat in which I was seated. This childish
disappointment made quite an impression upon me, and I used
anxiously to look forward to the time when I should be a
match for anv of the beasts of the woods, or the fish in the
waters.

I was sufficiently old to endure the hardships of forest life,
when my father took up his abode on the southern border of
the great New York forest, sometimes called " John Brown's
Tract." There we prosecuted the business of trapping in
earnest. We stretched a line of traps nearly forty miles in
length directly into the heart of the wilderness, over rivers,
mountains, lakes, and plains ; and along this line we dili-
gently trapped the otter, fisher, marten, mi?ik, muskrat, and
raccoon.

To give an idea of the management of a practical trapper
in the woods, I will describe in detail the operations by which
we subsisted, and took our game while in the woods.
" As our line of traps was about forty miles in length, and
of course involved a journey of eighty miles to and from our
home, our outfit became at once a very important considera-

A YOUNG TRAPPER'S EXPERIENCE.

189

tioM. In the first place, we must have enough to eat, and the
means wherewith to cook our food ; and at the same time we
must not overload ourselves with luggage, as every pound
of our personal effects must be carried on our backs for long
days, through a pathless wilderness. The object then was to
secure the greatest amount of nutriment with the least possi-
ble weight.

And then, not only food, but other absolute necessaries
must be provided. We must have the means for procuring
fire, for securing game and fish, for taking and disposing of
our furs, for keeping warm on a cold night, &c. ; all of which
weigh down seriously, but can by no means be overlooked or
omitted.

I may as well here remark, that about one fifth of the lug-
gage generally recommended by writers and book-makers who
treat of life in the woods, as suitable for the hunter's or traj)-
per's outfit, will cover all his absolute wants. The remaining
four fifths the old woodsman will consider as luxuries, if not
superfluities. I suppose that, as a genera! thing, writers are
not practical hunters or trappers, and this may account for the
discrepancy I have mentioned.

A trapper makes great account of his fire. Aside from its
primary use in cooking his food, it oftentimes supplies tlie
place of house and bedding. Some cany with them a light
woolen blanket, but oftener the woodsman has only the earth
for his resting-place, and the heavens for his counterpane, a
sheltered nook, where the wind cannot blow too rudely, a few
hemlock boughs for his bed, and a fire just in proportion to
the temperature of the season.

Aside from the necessary supply of traps, the trapper's outfit
can be reduced to about the following items :

First. A basket or knapsack, to carry on his back, and
large enough to hold provisions and other necessaries for the
journey.

Second. Eatables, consisting principally, or wholly, of pork
and flour ; or, what is better on some accounts, a mixture of
flour and Indian meal, in the proportion of two ,.arts flour to
sne of meal. Add to this a little saleratus and a small bag

140

NARRATIVES.

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of salt, and a man can carry food sufficient, with what game
and fish he can procure, to last him a month. It is much
easier to carry the flour into the woods and bake it as it is
wanted, than to attempt to use bread already baked, as it is
lighter and less bulky. When the woodsman wishes for
bread, lie mixes the flour in a basin of warm water, adds a
little saleratus and salt, and bakes it in his frying-pan, or if
that is not at hand, on a chip.

Tiiird. Cooking utensils, namely, a small frying-pan, two
tin basins of the capacity of one and two quarts respectively,
and a small tin cup for drinking.

Fourth. Implements for general use, namely, an axe, gun,
knife, and pocket-compass.

Lastly, and above all, a good supply of matches.

Eveiy trapper should have a companion to assist him, as
the same gun, axe, and cooking utensils will suffice for both,
and it is much less labor for two than for one to carry them.

When the business of trapping is prosecuted on the borders
of lakes and large streams, much hard labor is saved by the
use of a boat. Those who make free use of boats are moi-e
lavish in their outfit, as the labor of transportation is there-
by very much reduced. I suspect that Mr. Newhouse has
been more familiar with this method than myself; and this
may account for any apparent discrepancy between us in
respect to outfit.

When I began life as a trapper, I lived, as I have said, with
my father, on the southern border of the great New York
wilderness ; so that our line of traps commenced not far from
our home. This line was by degrees extended further and
further into the forest, until it had reached the limit beyond
which the provisions we could carry would not hold out. We
began by carrying our traps into the woods, and distributing
them along our intended line before the trapping season began ;
so that when the time arrived that fur was suitable for market,
we should have only to set our traps and bait them. At the
proper season we would shoulder our packs, containing as
much provisions as vre could comfortably carry, and commence
carefully setting and baiting our traps. This process was con

A YOUNG TRAPPER'S EXPERIENCE.

141

tinued as long as our provisions would allow, and then wo
would return on the same line, examining our traps, skinning
the animals taken, and stretching their furs. After a short
interval, this process was repeated, and kept up while the
season lasted.

Our usual course was, to follow rivers and streams, and
visit all the lakes in the vicinity of our line. When following
streams, or the shores of the lakes, we would trap the beaver,
otter, mink, and muskrat ; and when our line extended over
land and away from the water, we took the marten, fisher, and
raccoon.

Our methods of setting and baiting traps, and our contriv-
ances for circumventing animals, were generally very much
like those recommended by Mr. Newhouse, and need not be
detailed.

In the course of my trapping experience I had considerable
practice in taking the fisher, and became somewhat familiar
with its ways. Tiiis is a very pretty creature, with glossy
black fur, and a long bushy tail. But, like the cat, it has a
temper that is not so mild and agreeable as its appearance
might indicate ; nor does the close embrace of one of New-
house's traps tend to mollify it at all. It frequently makes sad
havoc with the trap and its appurtenances, and sometimes gets
away after being faii*ly caught. I well remember a trying
experience I had with one of these animals in the North
Woods. I had seen his ti'acks, and had carefully set my trap
with all the usual fixings and fastenings, in full faith in his
ultimate capture. But on going to the j)lace the next day,
trap and chain were clean gone, and all fixings demolished.
The fisher had been there, and had been "aught, but instead
of submitting handsomely to his fate, had gone and robbed
me of a good Newhouse trap. (It was not Newhouse's fault.)
He was a very large animal, and the spring-pole was not
strong enough to swing him clear off the ground. So afler
demolishing the inclosure in which the trap was set, and mak-
ing a general smash of things around, he threw himself upon
the end of the pole, actually gnawed it off below where the
ring was fastened, and left for parts unknown. How he

J«.l

NAkRATIVES

li w

finally disposed of tlie valuables he carried off, or whether he
drew them about for the rest of his life, is left for conjecture.
I have long since abandoned the woods, and my trapper's
life seems like a dream of the past ; and yet I look back to it
as a long and pleasant dream, despite of its many hardships
and privations. In entering the woods I seemed to leave
behind the jostlings and heartaches of crowded society — the
great " torn " in which mankind are tumbling and chafing —
and went forth into the fireedom and peace of undisturbed
Nature.

f -ii

THE DEER HUNT.

PROM SAMUEL S. HUTCHINS'* JOURNAL.

Oct. 21, 1860. — We caught a deer to-day, and I am
going to tell you all about it ; for we had a lively time, I
assure you.

It was one of those still, cloudy mornings you see so often
at this time of year. We rose early, got our breakfast, did up
our chores, and then started for the lake to hunt deer. We
found the lake as calm and smooth as glass. Father took the
large boat and went up to the head of the lake to start the dog,
and I took the small boat and started down the lake for the
" point," to watch for the deer. After getting there I climbed
up into a tree, so that I could have a good view of the lake,
and listened for the dog. After staying there some time, the
wind began to rise, and I was cold, and began to think that
we should hardly get a deer that day. So I came down out of
the tree and begun stirring about to get warm, when I heard
the dog away off on tlie hills. I stopped for a moment to see
which way the chase was going, and came to the conclusion
that they were coming around the head of the lake, and so
on down to where I was. I then got up into the tree again,
to await the result. I waited about an hour, I should think,
watching the upper part of the lake most of the time, think-
ing the deer would be most likely to come in there. On look-
ing, however, in the other direction, behold there was the
deer, swimming for life. lo was a buck, and a large one too.
He was about half-way across the lake, and half a mile from
where I was. I did not stand there and look at him long, I

* Thifl young man was a soldier in the late war, and came home from McClellan'»
peninsular campaign, with wounds and diseases that caused his death in the fail of
1864.

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144

NARRATIVES.

I li

reckon. Down I came, twenty feet at two jumps, liiirting my
shins most wofiilly on the limbs, and my nose on the stones
where I landed ; but I picked myself up and got into my
boat. Then commenced the chase. But let me describe
the boat in which I was, so that you can better appreciate the
fun. It is just eleven feet long, and sixteen inches wide, and
scarcely heavier than an egg-shell, (poetic license,) and wil'
upset a great deal easier. It was made from a bass-wood log,
and well made too, and is what is commonly called a " dug-
out." I had to stand on mv knees in the middle, and had a
double paddle, which is just like a common one, only it has a
blade on each end. Thus equipped I started the chase, with
the wind in my favor, and with the firm intention of catching
the buck if I possibly could. He was a good half mile ahead
of me, and had not so far as that to go to get to shore ; and
I could see that he swam furiously. I had no weapons to slay
him with. My duty was to get around him, and drive him
lip the lake to father, who, when he saw me start out, I ex-
pected, would come and meet me and help kill him. So away
I went, exerting every nerve and muscle ; shot around the
point, and was out at sea in " no time ; " kept my eye on the
deer, and took a course that would cut him off from the shore
that he was swimming for. For a long while I went thus,
with the wind in my favor, sometimes thinking that I should
overhaul him, and then again that I should not. Finally I
saw that I was gaining on him a little ; but I knew that I
must do more than that, if I wanted to catch him ; so I re-
doubled my efforts. "Pull, Sam !" I muttered, "you must
overhaul him, anyhow ; " and so I did. After a long and hard
pull I came up to him. When he saw me he turned square off
from me, and swam almost as fast again as he did before.
When I came about, side to the wind, to follow him, my little
boat dipped water at every wave. But I stopped not for that.
I wanted to run in beside him once more, and turn him toward
the opposite shore ; but I found that it was somewhat harder
to do so than I expected. I laid out all my strength. You
could have heard me puff half a mile off, if you had been
within that distance. I could see that I gained on him, but

THE DEER HUNT.

145

very slowly. He sees that I am coming too near him, and he
makes a short turn and swims for the middle of the lake —just
where I wanted him to go, exactly! When I found he was
safe, I dropped my paddle and shouted lustily for joy. Fa-
ther came in a few minutes, and dispatched him, but not with-
out a desperate battle. He fired three charges of buck-shot
into his head, struck him more than forty blows with a hatchet,
and only succeeded in killing him by getting hold of his lecrg
separately and hamstringing him, after which he could raise
his head sufficiently to cut his throat. He was an old buck of
the toughest kind, and weighed three hundred pounds.

MUSKRAT HUNTING.

bt henry thacker.

Hi ^i

i u

l» 1

In the winter of 1844-5, I made two or three excursions
from the city of Chicago into the neighboring wild regions for
the i)urpose of spearing and trapping muskrats. At this dis-
tance of time I shall hardly be able to give from memory a
very accurate account of those excursions ; but I enjoyed
them so well, and they made such vivid impressions on my
mind, that I can at least give an outline of them, and shall
recall as I proceed many interesting incidents.

The first thing I did, by way of preparation for the cam-
paign, was to procure a suitable spear, which was simply a rod
of round steel, three eighths of an inch in diameter, and three
feet long, nicely pointed and pol'shed at one end, and at the
other driven firmly into a ferruled wooden handle, also about
three feet long. The next thing (and a very important one)
was to provide a pair of mufflers, made of old carpeting, to be
drawn on over my boots. Lastly I harnessed myself into a
knapsack suitable for carrying provisions, game, &c. Thus
equipped, I put on my skates one morning, as soon as I found
the ice strong enough to bear me, and started up the north
branch of the Chicago lliver for Mud Lake, a small sheet
of water about twelve miles distant, surrounded by extensive
marshes, a noted place, not only for the habitation of the
muskrat and mink, but for the gathering in the spring and
fall of the year, of multitudes of almost every variety of wild
ducks, geese, and other water-fowl.

Here let me describe the character and situation of this

TRACKER'S EXCURSIONS.

147

marsh and lake. The lake proper is a narrow sheet of water,
from ten to twenty-five rods wide, and two or three miles in
length. The water is from three to ten feet deep, and the soft
mud at the bottom probably a great deal deeper. This lake
seems to have two outlets flowing in opposite directions ; one
toward Chicago, being the principal head-waters of the south
branch of the river which forms the harbor of Chicago ; the
other in the opp )8ite direction, emptying into the Auxplaines
River, which is among the head-waters of the Illinois River.
I was told that at the time of the high water in June of that
year (1844), schooners from Lake Michigan could easily have
passed through this lake and marsh, into tlie Auxplaines, and so
down the Illinois River to the Mississippi.

But to return to my story : on arriving at the marsh I
found the ice strong enough to bear my weight, and quite
transparent. A sight was here presented that I had never
seen before. I cannot describe the view better than by liken-
ing it to a large meadow covered with hay-cocks, so thickly
was the marsh before me studded with muskrat houses.

These structures are built up of flag-tops, roots, mud, and
sea-weed, or water-grass, to the height and size of a hay-cock ;
and in them the muskrats live through the winter and spring.
They generally commence their houses on a place where the
water is one or two feet deep, and build it up entirely solid,
to the height of three to five feet above the water, cutting
out channels diverging in different directions from the house,
and using the materials thus displaced in strengthening the
foundation of the house. These channels are used as run-
ways by the rats, in going back and fortli between the house
and their feeding- beds, during winter. After the superstruct-
ure is finished a hole is cut from underneath, up into the cen-
tre of the house, forming a nest just above the water, leaving
ample room for a second story in case of a flood.

I now made preparation to enter upon the business of my
excursion, that of spearing muskrats. I was not long in put-
ting on my mufflers and getting ready for the onslaught ; and,
as this was my first attempt at spearing, I was full of enthu-
siasm. With feelings of interest and excitement, I marched

15 *»

148

NARRATlVf:S.

*^t

up to a large house very cautiously (for, with the least jj»r ot
crack of the ice, away goes your game), and, with uplifted
spear, made ready for a thrust. I hesitated. There was a
difficulty I had not taken into account ; I knew not where to
strike. The chances of missing the game were apparent, hut
there was no time to be lost ; so bang! went the spear into a
hard, frozen mass, penetrating it not more than three or four
inches, and away went the game in every direction. With
feelings of some chagrin I withdrew my spear, and began feel-
ing about for a more vulnerable spot, which I was not long
in detecting. It being a cold, freezing day, I discovered an
accumulation of white frost on a certain spot of the house,
and putting my spear on the place I found it readily entered.
The mystery was solved at once ; this frost on the outside of
the house was caused by the breath and heat of the animals
immediately beneath it, and it was generally on the southeast
side of the centre of the house, this being the warmest side.
Acting on these discoveries, I made another trial, and was
successful ; and now the sport began in good earnest . When-
ever I made a successful thrust, I would cut a hole through
the wall of the house with my hatchet, and take out the game,
close up the hole, and start for another house. The remain-
ing members of the family would soon return, and immedi-
ately set about repairing the breach. I sometimes succeeded
in pinning two rats at one thrust. I also became quite expert
in taking game in another way, as follows : Whenever I
made an unsuccessful thrust into a house, the rats would dive
into the water through their paths or run-ways, and disappear
in all directions. I now found I could easily drive my one-
tined spear through the ice two inches thick, and pin a rat
with considerable certainty, which very much increased the
sport, and I was not long in securing a pile of fifteen or
twenty rats.

Here I made a discovery of what, until now, had been a
mystery to me, namely, how a muskrat managed to remain so
long a time in the water under the ice without drowning.
The muskrat, I perceived, on leaving his house inhaled a full
Dreath, and would then stay under water as long as he could

TIIACKKR'S KXCIJ KSION'S.

149

',. *

without breathing; when he would rise up with liis nose
against the ice, and breathe out his breath, which seemed to
thsj)hice the water, Ibrming a bubble. I could distiiietly see
hlui breathe this bubble in and out several times, and then
dive again. In this way I have chased them about under the
ice for some time before caj)turing them. I do not know liuw
lonjj tiie nuiskrat could live under the ice, but I have heard
of their having been seen crossing large bays and rivers under
the ice, five miles from shore. I saw a man in Illinois who
told me he cliased two otters under the ice f».'' three (juarters
of an liour, trying to kill them with his axe,, a ul finally lost
them ; which goes to show that these anima's. as well as the
nuiskrat, can live under the ice a long time.

As I frequently speared the muskrat on his feeding-bed,
and subsequently found it to be the best and surest place to
set a trap for him, I will, for the benefit of the novice, under-
take to describe one as found in the marshes. A feedino;-bed
is a place where the muskrat goes to feed, generally at night,
and is frequently many rods from his house. Here hi? selects
a place where his food is convenient, and by the aid of the
refuse material of the roots, &c., which he carries here for
food, he elevates himself partly out of water, in a sort of hut.
Here he sits and eats his food, and at the slightest noise, or
least appearance of danger, disappears in an instant under
water. In the winter these feeding-places are readily discov-
ered by a bnnch of wadded grass, flag, or some other mate-
rial, about the size of a man's hat, protruding above the ice.
This little mound is hollow, and is oidv larije enouiih for a
single rat, where he sits and eats his food, with his lower parts
in the water. When the rats were disturbed in their house,
I found they generally fled to these feeding-huts, where they
were almost a certain mark for the spearman.

Finding I had taken as many rats as I could conveniently
strip before they became frozen, I set about the work of skin-
ning, and after an hour anc^ a half of pretty cold work, I
bagged my skins, put on my skates, and started for the city,
well satisfied ^ith my first day's excursion.

In ray next excursion, not many days after, to the same

160

NARRATIVES.

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>:i I

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place, I had .still better success. As the ico had now become
too thick to be easily penetrated by my spear, I adopted, in
part, a different mode of taking the jjame. This time I car-
ried with me, in addition to my spear, two dozen steel-trapa,
and a bundle of willow sticks (cut on the way) about three
feet long. On arriving at the hunting grounds I prepared my-
self lor the day's sport by putting on my mufflers, and with
trajjs and willow sticks slung upon my back, began the work
by driving my spear into the first house I came to. I could
not now see the rals as they fled from the house, on account
of the thickness of the ice and a slight snow that lay upon it.
Consequently the sport of spearing them through the ice was
cut off. But as often as I had occasion to cut through the
walls of the house to take out my game, I set a steel-trap in
the nest, slipped a willow stick through the ring of the chain,
laid it across the hole, slightly stopped it up, and then passed
on to the next house ; and so on, until my traps were all gone.
I then started back to the |)lace of begiiniing, driving my
spear into every feeding-hut in my course, and killing many
rats. Finally, I began going over the ground again, first
driving my spear into a house, then examining the trap, taking
out the game, and re-setting the trap. In this course I was
quite successful. I found by setting the trap in the right
place, near the edge, and a little under the water, I was al-
most certain to take the first rat that returned. In makinff
two or three rounds in this way, I found the rats became some-
what disturbed, and sought temporary shelter elsewhere ;
when I would move to a new ])lace, giving them time to re-
cover from their friirht.

I think this a very profitable method of trapping the musk-
rat, especially in an open winter. It very much lengthens
the season of trapping, which is quite an important considera-
tion with the trapper. Another consideration is, the trapper
may set his traps and allow them to remain many days, if not
convenient to go to them, and be sure his fur will take no
harm ; as the rat on being caught in the trap dives into the
water, and is soon drowned, and will not spoil for a long time
at this season of the vear, and is also secure from frost.

THACKER'S EXCURSIONS.

ir,i

I will here state that I found a inusknit house to contain
from four to nine rats. I have caught as many as nine from
one house. Possibly some may contain a greater number than
this. I concluded that these colonies must be the progeny of
a single rat in one season, or for aught I know, at a single
litter.

In these winter excursions, I sometimes captured several
minks, which I found somewhat ditforent from the mink of tlie
Eastern States, being much larger, and of a lighter brown
color and coarser fur. I sometimes found them occu{)ying
muskrat houses, from which they had driven or destroyed the
muskrats, of the flesh of which they are very ft)nd. They are
a gross-feeding, carnivorous animal. I have found stored up
in muskrat houses which tiiey inhabited, from a peck to half
a bushel of fish, in nil stages of decay, and some freshly
caught iJnd alive : wl is good evidence that they are not
oidy gross feeders, but ^ood fishers also. I was most success-
ful in taking the mink in steel-traj)s, baiting with muskrat-
flesh or fisli, and setting my traps about the marshes, and
along the banks of streams and rivers. A mink will seldom
pass a bait without taking or smelling at it ; and by placing
the bait a little beyond the trap, in such a position that he
must pass over the trap in order to reach it, you are pretty
sure of him. I also caught them by setting the trap in the
mouth of their dens and in hollow logs, and sometimes en-
joyed the sport of digging them out of the river-bank.

In setting my traps for mink and raccoon, I was somewhat
annoyed by the ])rairie wolf taking the bait, but still more by
the skunks getting into the traps. The country at this time
abounded with these animals. They seemed to be nearly as
plenty as the minks. I have sometimes found as many as
wo or three in my traps on a morning. It was an easy
matter enough to dispatch one, but to do it and not get my
trap scented was not so easy. (Here let me say, I never
knew one caught in a trap to discharge at all, until disturbed
by the approach of man.) After trying several unsuccessful
plans, I hit upon one that I thought would do the business.
Putting a tremendous charge of powder and ball into my rifle,

162

NAIIUATIVKS.

hiM

i\.'-

1. \

1 1

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I iip|»r()iiclied my uiita^oiiist as uciir as I could witliout draw-
ing his tiiv; and placiiin; the muzzle of my riflo within throe
feet of his head, blazed away, and blew his head dean off". I
ajiproaehed the eareass for the purpose of taking off my ti'ap,
(oongrjitulatinij; myself on my good success), when he mado
a suilden convulsive movement, and, oh horror ! such a dis-
charge of the genuine article, no man ever saw or smelt !
However, by a (piick movement I esca|)ed the charge myself,
but my trap, as usual, was tlun'oughly perfumed. I soon had
an opportunity to try again, and this time I succeeded, by the
following device. Watching my opj)ortunity when the skunk
turned his eyes from me, I dealt him a heavy blow across the
back with a hmg club, and innnediately loosened the trap from
off his lee;. In this wav I ever after manaired to keep clear
from scent, with a single exception, which occurred as fol-
lows : —

In one of my excursions, accompanied by another person,
the doix scented somethinir under the floor ( f an old shanty,
which we concluded must be a mink ; so at it we went tear-
ing up the floor, to give the dog a ciiance to get at the animal.
Up came one jdai'k after anotht'r in quick succession, when
all at once the doo; made a tremeridous lunjie rigl'^ into the
midst of a nest of seven nearly full grown skunks. In less
than a minute the atmosphere was blue with the most horrible
stench ever encountered bv human oH'actories. The dojx was
soon nearly choked and blinded by the showers of stifling
spray that met him at every charge, and, for the time be-
ing, all were obliged to beat a hasty retreat into the open
air. But as we were all now tairlv in for it, we concluded
to make another charge and flnish up the work we had so
entluxsiastically begun ; and, armed each with a long club, we
returned to the fray, and, with the help of the dog, soon
despatched the foe, and retreated to the windward to get clear
of the stench. But it was of no use. I seemed to be scented
through and through ; my very breath seemed to be hot with
the terrible miasma ; and for several days I could scarcely
taste or smell any thing but skunk. This was my most seri-
ous encounter with the skunk family, though I continued ta

t draw-
n throe

off: I
ly trap,
e inadi)
I a (lis-

sinelt !

myself,
oon I Kiel
, by the
e skunk
ros^ the
[•ap tVoin
ej) clear
I as ibl-

person,
I shatity,
L'lit tear-
! animal,
n, ^vhen
nto the
In less
lorriblo
og was
stifling
ime be-
le open
icluded
had so
club, we
on, soon
nret clear
scented
lot with
scarcely
ost seri-
nued ta

TIIACKKll'S EXCURSIONS.

158

be annoyed by their getting into my traps ; and once, at the
suggestion of a fur-dealer that their skins were worth fifty
cents apiece, undertook the job of saving a lot ; but after
skinning five, gave up the business in disgust.

My next excursion was a short but I'ather excitin<i one. In
consequence of :; slight thaw a day or two previous to my
setting out, the skating on the I'iver was ni'arly spoiled. I
was therefon; obliged to travi-l most of the way on land,
and on leot, taking nearly all ilay to get to my place of des-
tination. I put up for the night at a tavern a mile or two
from tlie ])art of the marsh where I intended to trap, which
was at the end opposite to the theatre of my {)revi()us excur-
flions, and nctar tlu; AuxplairuiH River. The n(;xt morning, after
breakfast, I started out for the hunt, and, on ai-riving at the
marsh, to my surprise not a muskrat house could be seen, with
the exception of the very toi>s of three or four. The rest
were all under wtiier and the water frox>en over. At first
I was unable t;) divine the cause of this unusual rise in the
water ; but subsequently ascertained that an ice-dam had
formed in the river three fourths of a mile below, in conse-
quence of the brenking up of the ice above, and had set the
water back over this part of the marsh to the depth of nearly
four feet. The mnskrats were coinj)letely drowned out ; and
I now saw them huddled together in numerous sfjuads upon
the newly-formed ice all over the marsh, having already
brought up portions of their submerged dwellings, with which
they had built up slight walls to shelter themselves from the
cold northwest wind.

This was an exciting scene to the trapper — a multitude
of his game in full view ! I became almost nervous with ex-
citement. But how to get at them was the question. On
going down to the water, I found it scarcely frozen along the
shore, though it looked firmer farther out. To be sure I
pould reach many of the muskrats with my rifle ; but what
Was the use, if I could not o;et them after I had killed them ?
However, something must be done. I could n't stand this
sight anyhow. I set about devising some j)lan by which I
might reach the game in person. A half dozen plans wers

154

NARRATIVES.

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H-

presented to my mind in as many minutes. One plan was to
place a board on the ice, get on it, snd shove myself along by
placing the point of my sharp spear on the ice ; but, on fur-
ther consideration, I concluded this would be too slow an
operation. If I succeeded in getting out on the ice, the rats
could easily keep out of my way, as I should not be able to
leave my board. Another plan was to fasten a piece of board
a foot square to each foot ; but, on further thought, this ])lan
was also abandoned as being unsafe. Although the water did
not exceed four feet in depth down to the old ice, yet, in case
I broke through, the boards might operate to keep my heels
up and my head down. I now determined to test the real
strength of the ice ; and, procuring a piece of slab twelve or
fourteen feet long, I shoved it off on the ice. Leaving one
end resting on the shore and walking out on this, I stepped
off upon the ice. It barely held my weight, and soon began
to settle, so that the water came upon the ice. However, 1
came to the conclusion that if I could get upon the ice witii
my skates on and keep constantly under pretty good headway,
it would hold me up. Strip))ing off all extra clothing, and
laying aside every unnecessary weight, I strapped on my
skates, and, with spear in hand, launched forth in pursuit of
the game. The ice bent and waved before me ; but I glided
swiftly on, and in less than a miiuite was among the musk-
rats. *

I now discovered that the rats kept a hole opeii through the
ice, right above their house ; and, before I got within striking
distance, they dove into the water and disappeared. I could
hear them snuffing up against the ice, but could not see them
on account of a slight sprinkling of snow which covered the
ice. As soon as I left for another place, they would come up
again through the holes on the ice. I saw that, in order to
get a chance to strike them, I must wait at the holes for them
to return for a fresh supply of air. This I found rather
tedious, as I was obliged to keep constantly in motion, run-
ning in a circuit around the hole, on account of the weakness
of the ice. In this way I would have to wait several minutes,
and, when one did return to breathe, he was so very quick I

THACKER'S EXCURSIONS.

166

found it difficult to hit him ; and 1 also found, where the holes
were not a great way apart, that when I went to one hole the
rats would dive and swim to another. This would not do. I
must try another expedient ; and, returning to the sliore, I
took from my knapsack a dozen steel-traps and a handful of
willow sticks, threw them on the ice, and then started back.
Picking up in my course as many traps and sticks as I could
carry without increasing my weight too much, I distributed
them around the holes. And now lively work commenced.
Taking a trap and stick in my hand, while under headway, I
set the trap, slipped the willow stick through the ring of tho
chain, dropped it on the ice, placed the trap in tiie little
cuddy where the rats huddled together, and passed on to the
next, scarcely making a stop. This plan was a successful
one. Frequently, before I reached the next hole, a rat would
be caught in the trap I had just left, and, diving into the
water, would be brought up at the length of the chain by the
stick sliding across the hole, and in this condition would soon
drown himself. I now had as much business as I could attend
to, taking out the game, re-setting my dozen traps, carrying
the game to the land, &c. You may be sure I played back
and forth in a lively manner. I however discovered that the
ice became much weakened by passing over it several times.
Consequently I was under the necessity of moving to new
places occasionally, to avoid breaking through. In fact, 1
found there was only a small part of the marsh where the ice
was sufficiently strong to hold me up at all ; and the weather,
moderating after the middle of the day, weakened the ice so
much that I fell through several times, getting my clothes
wet and boots full of water ; which so much increased mv
weight that I was soon obliged to abandon the field altogether.
I had, however, by this time secured a good pile of rats, and,
on the whole, had had one of the most exciting day's sport I
ever enjoyed.

The weather now continued to moderate, and there were
evident signs of the breaking up of winter, and the opening
of spring. In two or three days from this time, wild ducks
and geese began to gather about the marshes. I now began

16G

NARRATIVES.

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active preparations for a sj)ring's campaign of trapping. Dur-
ing the winter two small trapping boats iiad been made, and
a tent, cam])-kettles, and other "fixings" had been got in
readiness ; and on about the twentieth of February, in com-
pany with E , I set out. We launched our little ci-afts

and commenced the campaign by scattering over the marsh
one hundred and ten steel-traps, with open jaws, ready for
the fur-clad inhabitants. The weather being favorable and
the water steady, we made havoc among the muskrats and
minks ; and as this was a noted place for game, especially for
nuiskrat, mink, and raccoon, we soon had comj)etition in the
business. In the course of three or four days, three other
trappers stopped in the same vicinity, and commenced opera-
tions. But as they were strangers from a distance, we had
decidedly the advantage, as we understood the ground, having
previously pretty thoroughly reconnoitered the marshes in this
section. The game being jdenty, we found work enough to
keep us busy, and for several succeeding days caught more
rats than we could find time through the day to skin.

However, our good success was of comparatively short dur-
ation. In the course often or fifteen days, we found ourselvc.'s
confronted by a pretty serious difficulty in the way of success-
ful operations. As the previous summer had been remarkable
for its lono; continuous rains and <xreat flood, we now had the
opposite state of things — continuous dry weather ; and having
had scarcely any rain the fall previous, nor snow during the
winter, s{)i-ing found the water in the rivers and marshes
unusually low. As the weather continueti fair, the March
winds dried up the marshes so fast, that we soon found it dif-
ficult to get around with our boats, and finally were oblioed to
leave them altogether and take to the rivers, in order to con-
tinue our sport. We now found our chance for sport much
reduced. The high water the previous spring and summer,
overflowing the river-banks for so long a time, either prevent-
ed the rats breeding, or drowned their young, so that we found
the game rather scarce. We however ascended the Auxplaines
River some twenty or thirty miles. Our way was to string
our traps along the banks, three or four miles at a setting, and

THACICER'S EXCURSIOXS.

157

this

then return to camp. The next day we would overliaul and
re-set, if we fovuul the game plenty enougli to warrant it.
If not, we would take up the traps and make another stretch,
and so on.

On returnino; several days subsequently to our old hunting-
grounds, we found the muskrats had somewhat recovered
from the fright we had given tliem by our sudden and terrible
onslaught, and had returned from the inaccessible parts of the
marsh to which they had fled for refuge, and we made several
more successful sets.

The weather had now become mild, and the marshes liter-
ally swarmed with ducks, and geese, and other water-fowl.
Any one not familiar with this section of country can have
no idea of the numbers of water-fowl that o-'ither about these
lakes and marshes in the spring and fall of the year. As we
moved about in our little boats amono; the tall reeds and fla^s
of the marsh, our fire-arms were always at hand, ready to
bring down a duck or a goose that happened to ])ass within
reach. We fared sumptuously every day. Our daily bill of
fare consisted of roast goose, roast duck, prairie chicken, plov-
er, ])ike, bass, cat-fish, bull-heads, &c., &c., together with
coffee, hard biscuit, butter, and occasionally a meal of duck
and goose eggs. This was what we called high living ; and
as we seldom found time for more than two meals a day, we
were prepared to dispatch them with a relish that no one but
a trapper can realize.

E did not seem to enter into the business with as much

enthusiasm as myself, and having a family in the city, fre-
quently found occasion to go home, and sometimes staid away
two or three days. This made the work not quite so pleasant
for me, as I enjoyed the sport much better when we were to-
gether. However, I got along very well ; and the croaking
of frogs, the peeping of lizards, quacking of ducks and geese,
crowing of prairie chickens, the loud cries of the great sand-
hill cranes, and the almost incessant howling and yelping of
prairie wolves, were all music to my ears. On the whole, I
enjoyed the situation exceedingly.

One day as I was pushing my little boat along through the

158

NARRATIVES.

tall reeds, I saw at a distance sometliing unusual on the top
of a muskrat house. As it was lying flat, almost hidden from
view, I at first sight took it to be an otter, as we had killed
one some time previous near the same place. As usual at
the sight of game, my rifle was quick as thought brought to
bear, and away sped tiie bullet, and over tumbled a large wild
goose, making a great splashing as she fell into the watei'.
On examination I found she had a nest of seven eggs, all
fresh. The goose weighed fourteen pounds and a half. The
same day I found another nest with several eggs, and took
them to a farmer who was anxious to get them to hatch " at
the halves." He placed tlie eggs under a hen ; but a few
days before they were ready to hatch, my ever-present ene-
my, the skunk, ate up hen, eggs, and all, to the great sorrow
and indignation of the farmer. He said the young geese
would have been worth five dollars a jiair.

The weather still continued dry, and as we did not find
game very plenty in the rivers, we concluded to wind up the
trapping business, after having spent about six weeks in steady
employment. We now collected our fnrs, and found we had
caught seven hundred muskrats, sixty minks, a number of
raccoons, and one otter ; for wliich we found a ready market
at good prices. Thus ended my first, and most interesting
trapping campaign.

■I 1 m

^11

AN AMATEUR IN THE NORTH WOODa

By CHARLES S. JOSLYN.

m it

It was a pleasant June evening when I first approached
the southern boundary of the great New York wilderness. I
had been an amateur sportsman from my earliest youth ; and
my fondness for the woods was, and has always been, quite
inexpugnable. My feelings, therefore, when I came in full
view of the long, dark line of primitive forest in the distance,
were so exhilarating as to require some vent.

" Farewell, vain world I " said I, unconsciously breaking
into a sort of monologue ; " adieu to the pomp and glitter and
artificiality of the thing they call society ! Welcome, Nature,
pure and unadulterated, fresh from the hand of the Creator I "

I was here interrupted by a smothered laugh from my com-
panion, who had overheard the close of this rhapsody, which,
in the exuberance of my feelings, I had uttered in a more
elevated tone. Sewall Newhouse was a practiced woodsman,
keen and shrewd, and well versed in the lore of the forest,
but without much imagination or poetry in his composition.

" Wait awhile," said he, in his peculiar, dry way. " Don't
be in a hurry about these things. Perhaps you will find
some things in ' John Brown's Tract ' that you don't calcu-
late on. Besides, as it is getting dark, and we are several
miles from the woods, we shall have to get one more night's
lodging out of ' society,' as you call it, before we say good
by to it."

The force of the latter consideration was quite irresistible,
and had the immediate effect to postpone luy enthusiasm for
the time.

100

NARRATIVES

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It was after ni«i;litf!ill, when wo succoodcd in obtaining a
lodrring ill the loft of a dilapidated fann-liouse, whose owner
rehictantly consented to receive ns. The accommodations
were none of the choicest, and, accustomed as I was to clean
sheets, soft beds, and other amenities of civilization, the gen-
eial Slovenliness of our dormitory, and the unyielding nature
of our couch, were not at all conducive to repose New
house, however, manifested an exemplary stoicism, and con-
soled me with the assurance that this was but a foretaste of
what was in store for us.

The mea<2;re amount of sleep which I enjoyed, and the
general uncomfortableness of niv surroundiny;s, were favor-
able to early risino; ; and so we beijan our march soon after
davlifiht the next morniuir. Our baffiiao-e had been sent
ahead on horseback, so that we had but our <i;uns to carry ;
and in the freshness of early mornino;, the hour's walk which
brouiiht us to the border of the woods seemed a brief one.
A fence built directly across our path announced that we had
reached the verge of civilization ; and climbing this, in another
moment we were within the precincts of the forest.

My first sensation was that of sublimity. An- intense thrill
of delight pervaded my whole being, and I almost involun-
tarily commenced repeating the opening stanzas of " Evan-
geline : "

" This is the forest primeval," &c.

My second sensation, which almost instantly dissipated the
first, was that of mosquitoes — not the comparatively mild
and inoffensive insect of polite society, but the savage and
blood-thirsty vampire of the North Woods. Most of us have
had ex|)erience with mosquitoes, and are more or less ac-
quainted with the nature of the insect ; but the mosquito of
civilization no more resembles the mosquito of John Brown's
Tract, than the bear trained to waltz to the music of the
hurdy-gurdy resembles the untamed grizzly of the Sierra
Nevada.

But thanks to the providence of my companion, help was
at hand. Mosquitoes have an invincible repugnance to cer-
tain vegetable scents, the chief among which is, perhaps, that

-11

AN AMATEUR IN THE NORTH WOODS.

181

of pennyroyal. To pru{)are it for use, it is necessary to melt
a certain quantity of lard, and add to it in its liquid state
enouijh of the essence to infuse tiie mass with a stronrj scent.
This coin|)()und, when cool, may be carried in the pocket in a
tin box, and is an effectual preventive aj^ainst the attacks
of nearly every kind of insect peculiar to the American
woods.

With this composition I j)lentifully anointed every visible
])ortion of my body. Face, hands, ears, neck, every inch of
surface which was liable to attack, was thoroughly lubricated,
till I looked like an Esquimau just arisen from his diinier of
seal's blubber and train-oil. The remedy, however, was ef-
fectual. It afforded me infinite satisfaction to see the impo-
tent rage witli which my late tormentors whirled round and
round my head, in bewildering circles, never daring, however,
to approach within reach of the aroma of this potent oint-
ment. I anointed my face and neck twice or thrice a day,
and found the application sufficient. The hands, owing to
the necessity of use, require to be anointed about once an
hour, to render them absolutely invulnerable. I found this
Bomewhat tiresome, and subsequently adopted a pair of light
buckskin gloves, which were not burr'cjnsome, and proved en-
tirely mosquito ])roof.

In one of my excursions I met a vouni;; man who had in-
cautiously ventured into the woods without adequate protec-
tion against mosquitoes. The blood was streaming from his
face, where he had been bitten, and his general aspect was so
forlorn that I was moved to pity. I gave him some ointment
with directions how to use it, and left him. When I met him
a few hours afterward, his first salutation was : " Mister,
you 've saved my life." The backwoodsmen become so ac-
customed to these insects, that they pay but little attention to
them, in most cases using no defense against them. It is
said that a mosquito will not bite an old hunter ; and it is
certain that after one has been in the woods a short time,
these insects will pay much less attention to him than to a
new-comer.

Mosquitoes however are not the only troublesome insect in
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162

NARRATIVES.

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the woods. A small, black gnat, which the old inhabitants
term a " puiikey," hears away the palm from the mosquito
As these insects are only about one fourth as large as mos-
quitoes, the}' can penetrate the meshes of any mosquito-net ;
and when once they get scent of you, they will leave no por-
tion of your body unexplored. The bite of these gnats is
much worse than that of the moscjuito. If you are bitten by
the latter insect, and you do not uimecessarily irritate the
wound, the effect is not visible for anv jji'cat lenrjtli of time
afterward ; but the bite of these gnats results, first in a deej)
crimson blotch about the size and shape of a half dime, and
then in an oi)en sore, which in some cases will last for weeks.
The favorite method of protection against these insects in use
in the North Woods, is, to build a fire with some damp mate-
rial which will produce a dense smoke, plant yourself reso-
lutely where the smoke is thickes't, and take your chance of
being smothered, as a choice of evils. Neither mosquitoes
nor gnats can endure smoke ; and this fact is taken advantage
of by families living near the edge of the forest, who, during
warm weather, keep a pan of embers continually smouldering
at the doors of their houses, by way of self-defense.

Eight or ten minutes of brisk walking brought us to a small
clearing, whereiu an enterprising pioneer had constructed a
/ough dwelling, and ministered thence to the wants and ne-
^'essities of incoming and outgoing travellers. The principal
of these wants, T soon found, was whiskey. It is difficult for
me to do adequate justice to this beverage. I am undecided,
to this day, which of these two characteristic institutions of
the North Woods is the worst, the whiskey or the mosquitoes.
The rule is, I believe, that any one who can drink the whiskey
can endure the mosquitoes ; and, vice versa^ any one who can
endure the mosquitoes can drink the whiskey. Nevertheless,
the article is in great demand, and indeed it seemed to be the
common understanding that it was well-nigh impossible to
undergo a two or three weeks' campaign in the woods with-
out it.

It was eleven miles, said our informants, to our next fttop-
ping-place ; and on we pushed, full of courageous intent, and

AN AMATKUll IN THE NORTH WOODS.

168

bidding; defiance to tlie perils and liardships of tlic wilderness.
But the miles were unconscionably long. I had ])ridcd my-
self somewhat on ray ability as a pedestrian, and had thouj^ht
li<j;htly of the eleven miles before us ; but by the time we had
accomplished one half of theui, it seemed to me that each mile
was a league in length. And then the path — how shall I
describe it ? I had thought the road by whicli we had reached
the clearing in our rear as bad as road could be ; but this path
wiiich we were now following was yet worse. If the reader
will imagine an almost unlimited amount of logs, rocks, nnid,
stumps, and mosquitoes, mixed together hajj-ha/ard, and dis-
tributed miscellaneously along a line eleven miles in length,
he will by this means obtain a possible conception of the road
on which we plodded all day.

Thanks to a good bed, and a sound night's sleep, I rose on
the ensuing morning with no diminution of spirits, and with
my physical condition quite unimpaired. A little stiffness in
the joints of the hips and knees was all the trace which re-
jnained of my yesterday's fatigue ; and even tliat wore away
witli the first hour's exercise.

At the outlet of the lono; cliain of lakes which stretches far
into the heart of this reo;ion, we were obIi";ed to wait a few
liours for the arrival of the boat which we had cnffao-ed, and
which was absent on the upper lakes. The time of our delay
was profitably employed in taking a fine string of speckled
trout from the stream, which here debouches from the lower
extremity of the lake. There are few sensations in nature
more satisfactory than the gentle titillation of the wrist and
elbow, ensuing from the bite of a fine trout ; and when the
struggle is over and you have him safe in your basket, though
you are not indued with the poetic temperament, and may
not have an atom of sentiment in your organization, you can
hardly suppress a sensation of regret at having destroyed a
creature of such rare beauty.

So at least, I think, as I fill my basket ; but Newhouse, I
am sorry to say, does not share in my weakness. His ali-
mentive instincts are stronger than his idealic ; and while I am
half disposed to sentimentalize over our prey, he extricates a

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164

NAUKATIVK8.

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fryiiig-puii tVoiTi om* l»i;i;<:jiirf(', iuid soon U'liipts my olfuctoinet
with II savory odor, of wliicli, sooth to siiy, with my appotito
sharpoiied hy exeiriso and ahstiiieiico, [ am in no wise nna|)-
pivciativt'.

\\y thi! time wo had finished onr r<'[)ast, onr hoal had ar-
rived ; and after secnrely packing our hi<!;<ra<fe in the l)ow and
stern, and under the seats, we |)ushed off from shore, and
directed our course toward the upper lakes.

The lak(!s of the North Woods are a pecuhar feature of the
region. A chain of small and picturesque sheets of water,
eight in innnber, and connected with each other hy shallow
channels, extends far into the interior of the wihU-rness.
These lakes are invaluahle in the facilities they afford to hunt-
ers and trappers and others, wisiiing to penetrate the heart of
the tract : as the transportation of one's self and haiio-acfe is
rendered comparatively easy, hy uieans of boats. Advent-
urers in this region can i)rocui-e a boat at the outlet of the
lower lake, and journey upward at their leisure till they find
a suitable place for a camp. Those who iiave walked from
the outside world to the landing, will appreciate the value of
this arrangement, especially if they have transported their
baggage thither on their own shoulders.

The day was drawing to a close when we turned the bow
of our boat to the shore, and landed near the foot of lake
No. 4 of the series. In our search after a ))roper location for
our camp, we were so fortunate as to find an unoccupied
" shanty " of the first quality, of which we lost no time in
taking possession.

A "shanty" proper is an institution peculiar to the woods.
The most common variety, which the woolsu^^n erect for
temporary use, is made of spruce bark, carefuUv peeled, so as
to preserve the full width, and opened fiat liKe a mammoth
shingle. A low frame-work of poles is then constructed, and
this bark is so disposed tliereupon as to form a dwelling which
is nearly impervious to rain. One side of the edifice, how-
ever, is always left open, and in front of this the fire is built,
which serves to warm the occupants in cool weather. The
more aspiring style of shanty, to which ours belonged, is built

AN AMATEUR IN THE NORTH WOODS.

105

of logs, halved together at the ends, like ii \o^ house; the
interstices filled with e'ly or moss, and the roof covered with
bark or split lo»;s. These are intended for more permanent
use, and are built by those who regularly frecpient certain
localities in the woods.

Niglit drew on. We had barely time to settle ourselves in
our new habitation, build our fire, and eat our supper, before
darkness overtook us, and we (o opared for bed. Our couch
was of the most primitive character. A pile of green hem-
lock boughs, laid upon the bare earth, <'onstituted both bed
and bedstead, sheets and coverlets. The only addition to
the rather meagre simplicity of this arrangement was a light
woolen blanket, for use in an unusually cool night. New-
house, indeed, had provided himself with an enormous bag, a
sort of cul de sac of Canton flannel, into which he crept at
night very much as a woodchuck ensconces himself in his
hole. But I disdained all such artificial appliances. Having
turned woodsman, I resolved to make a clean thing of it ; and
throwing myself upon my rude couch, with a bag of Indian
meal for a pillow, in five minutes I was sleeping as sound as
though reposing on the downiest of beds, and with the softest
of pillows.

My repose, however, was not destined to be uninterrupted.
A.t midnight the chilliness of the air awoke me. I drew my
blanket closer around me and tried to compose myself to sleep,
but in vain. The novelty of my situation and the unusual
sounds which attracted my attention were not at all favorable
to slumber. I could hear the distant howling of wolves on
the sides of the hill, at the foot of which we were encamped.
Then, as I listened, I heard the underbrush crackle, and
heavy footsteps tramped though the thicket but a few feet
from my head, in the rear of the hut. What was it? A
bear? or panther? or wolf? All these animals abound in
the North Woods, and the tread was too heavy to have been
made by a beast of less magnitude. I readied for my rifle,
which stood at my head, and peered steadfastly out into the
darkness, but could distinguish nothing. Meanwhile the foot-
steps had died away in the distance, and my nocturnal visitant

(;

lOG

NAKKATIVES.

had retreated, witliovit doij^niiig to reveul himself. Having
by this time become i)ivtty thoroughly awiikeiied, 1 sprang u]),
raked together the decaying embers of our last night's fire,
piled on a quantity of brush and logs, which created a genial
blaze, warming every corner of our rude habitation ; then,
enveloping myself in my blanket, I slept soundly till awak-
ened by the first beams of the morning sun. Such was my
first night in the woods.

The days j)assed pleasantly in this sylvan retreat. When
we were tired of our locality, it was a comparatively easy
operation to effect a " change of base." A half hour at any
time sufHced to transfer our effects from our habitation to our
boat, and another half hour was amply sufficient to establish
our cuisine and lodging in any locality to which we chose to
migrate. Space and time would fail me were I to attempt to
describe in detail our multifarious adventures in search of
game ami trout ; how I rowed up and down the lakes trolling
for salmon-trout, till the four broad blisters on my right palm,
anil the three ditto on my left, rendered ample testimony to
my proficiency as an oarsman ; and how at last, at the close
of one pleasant day, we found ourselves securely encamj)ed on
a rocky j)eninsula extending for a mile or two out into the
clear waters of Moose Lake.

Moose Lake is an isolated but beautiful sheet of water, ly-
ing a mile or two aside from the chain of lakes on which we
had hitherto been located. This hike is famed for the abun-
dance and superior quality of its trout ; and I was not slow
in testing the validity of its reputation in this respect, by
catching a fine mess of speckled trout for breakfast on the
moi'ning aft our arrival, before Newhouse had emerged from
his bag or Canton flannel. But as salmon and not sj)eckled
trout w^ere the principal objects of our labors, we prepared at
once for taking them scientifically. And lest there should be
some among my readers who do not clearly apprehend the
distinction between the two, I will devote a paragraph or two
to their enlightenment.

So few are unacquainted with the common brook or
speckled trout, that any description of this superb fish will

AN AMATEUR IN THE NORTH WOODS.

167

perlmj)s be snperHiious. The salmon dift'crs from the speckled
trout in beinjij more slender in form, and licrhter-colored ; his
flesh rarely assumin<i[ so deep and rich u hue as that of the
latter, and his s|)ots being more dull. The still, deep water
of these wild lakes is his favorite habitat, and there he often
grows to the weight of forty or fifty pounds, while the speckled
trout is rarely found in water of 'iny considerable de))tli. The
bite of the salmon, too, is materiilly d fit rent from that of the
speckled trojit. The latter aiuiounces his presence by a sharp,
eager nibble ; while the salmon bites with a sullen, dogged
jerk, very much like that of a perch, cat-fish, or Oswego bass.
His bite, however, is very sure, and a practiced fisherman
will seldom lose the fish that once takes his bait.

The most effective method of capturing the salmon-trout
with a hook, is, to station a number of buoys in eligible local-
ities, and, previous to fishing, bait them liberally with small
fish chopped into pieces as large as the end of one's finger.
The salmon, having obtained a taste of the bait, will haunt
the place for days afterward ; and by baiting the buoys two
or three times a day, the fisherman will often obtain six or
eight fish from a buoy at a single visit, weighing from one to
five pounds each. If small fish for bait are scarce, as is often
the case, the buoys can be baited with the inwards of the
trout themselves, cut into small j)ieces with a hatchet on the
bottom of the boat.

One pound is about the mininmm si^.e of the salmon-trout
as tiiey are taken in the northern lakes ; and very few smaller
are caught^ When it is taken into consideration that a single
person can manage ten or twelve buoys with a good degree
of success, it will be seen that this method of fishing can easily
be made profitable as well as pleasurable, to those who are
dis])osed to turn it to account in that way.

Great care is requisite in landing the sahnon-trout, or he
will break loose from the hook between the water and the
boat. From the moment the fish is hookeJ the line should
be kept tight, or he will disengage himself Pull in your line
as rapidly as possible, and your prize will run directly to the
•urface : and then bv taking a dexterous advantajje of his

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NARRATIVES.

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momentum, and keeping him carefully clear of the side of
the boat, you can throw him clean over on to the bottom
with very little outlay of physical force. When captured,
insert the sharp point of a knife into the back at the spot
where the head joins the body, and he will neither disturb
your temper nor entangle your lines by unnecessary flounder-
ing. Some amatem's make use of a landing-net ; but the
practiced sportsman will pronounce this a superfluity.

The recollection of the time passed amid the still loneliness
of this beautiful lake will long remain a bright spot in my
memory. The passing glimpse of a deer on the distant brink,
sipping the clear water in safety, far out of rifle-shot ; the oc-
casional shooting of a gull or loon, whose unearthly cry at
dusk is forcibly suggestive of a monster not less formidable
than a bear or panther ; the daily exercise of trout-catching ;
unlimited rations of trout in every possible shape — trout sal-
mon and trout speckled, trout large and trout small, trout
boiled, trout roasted, and trout fried : such is a brief epitome
of my life at Moose Lake.

But this wild existence, however pleasurable, must be tran-
sitory. Duty recalled me to the world, witli a voice too im-
perative to be disobeyed ; and accordiniilv, having resolved to
commence our return joiirney on the morrow, my companion
and I began to pack our baggage in readiness for an early
start. How to reduce our eflects to light marching order was
something of a problem ; and while Newhouse was trying to
solve the vexed question, I volunteered to "wash the dishes."
Our table-service was as follows : One camp-kettle, capacity
four quarts, serving the purposes of hot-water boiler, stew-
pot, oven, &c. ; two tin table-plates ; two tin pint basins ; two
pairs knives and forks ; and two iron table-spoons, besides our
indispensability, the frying-pan. These I deposited on the
shore of the lake, and, making an extempore dish-cloth from
a rag which I found among our luggage, I commenced my
work. I began with the frying-pan, as being entitled to the
most labor, and scrubbed vigorously for what I considered a
suitable length of time, but, for some reason, failed to make
very sensible progress. The grease adhered pertinaciously ;

Til

AN AMATEUR IN THE NORTH WOODS.

169

and the harder I rubbed, the worse it looked. I then be-
thought myself of commencing with something which would
aftbrd an easier task ; so I threw aside the frying-pan, and
took up one of the tin plates. But here again I experienced
a similar difficulty. Rub as hard as I would, the grease obsti-
nately refused to yield to niv efforts. Bv this time, I had
beo;un to think there was somethinij wrong in my wav of
going to work ; so I ceased manij)ulation, and fell to s})ecu-
lating on the probable cause of my defeat. I had not studied
the matter a great while, when it occurred to me that the
attempt to wash a greasy dish without either soap or hot
water was not an altogether saoacious method of ])rocedure.
Having remedied this fundamental error, I experienced no
further difficulty, and even congratulated n)vself on making
the discovery unaided. I omitted, however, to mention the
circumstance to my companion, partly because my feelings on
this point were tender, but mainly because I wished to avoid
tempting him into the vice of ridicule — a weakness in which
he is at times prone to indulge. He subsequently heard, how-
ever, the story of my dish-washing, and, to this day, cannot
resist the temptation to start a laugh over it at my expense.

By daylight on the following morning, we were en route for
home. We had selected and packed for preservation about
forty pounds of our choicest fish, and left behind us every-
thing not needed on our return journey. A few hours of
rowing brought us to the landing, where we bade farewell to
our boat, which had stood us in such good stead. We were
now dependent solely on our legs for the transportation of
ourselves and effects back to civilization, and we braced our-
selves manfully for the task.

As it fell to my lot to carry the said forty pounds of trout,
I heroically shouldered my burden, and started in a homeward
direction. It was now two o'clock, p. m. ; and before we
could reach a resting-place, we must traverse those eleven
miles of forest which proved so interminably long on our way
hither. Certain ominous doubts as to my ability to accom-
phsh the task were carefully thrust aside as irrelevant and
not to be entertained.

1^=

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170

NARRATIVES.

The sensation, to one who has never before had a load on
his shoulders, of a pack of forty pounds' weight placed thereon,
is any thing but comfortable ; and still less so was the prospect
of carrying such a burden over the long and difficult path
which lay before us. But circumstances were inexorable :
the cross must be borne, and bear it I did, as the sequel will
show. By dint of occasionally shifting my load from one
point to anotlier on my back, I traversed the first two or three
miles quite comfortably. I even began to be jubilant over my
supposed capacity as a beast of burden. How great, thought

I, will be the shame and confusion of W and T and

H (who had striven to cast discredit on my backwoods-

manship), when I relate to them, in full conclave, my tri-
umphant exodus from the wilderness ! What, after all, was
there in the crossing of the Alps by Napoleon or Hannibal ;
the passage of the Sphigen by Macdonald, or the Rocky
Mountains by Frdmont ; the scaling of the Heights of Abra-
ham by Wolfe ; the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers ; or any
of those achievements about which history makes such an
ado — what is there in all these that evinces a greater su-
premacy of mind over matter, than this march of mine from
solitude to civilization with forty pounds of salmon-trout on
my back ? Tiie greatest deeds are not those which Fame
trumpets to posterity. " Full many a flower is born to blush
unseen," &c.

But alas for poor, fallible human nature ! The spirit indeed
was willing, but the flesh seemed likely to prove a failure. At
the close of the fifth mile, I felt desperately tired and uncom-
fortable. Sombre thoughts began to creep over me. What
if, after all, my enterprise should not prove a triumph ? What
if it should result in an ignominious defeat ? What if dark-
ness should overtake me, and I should be left exhausted in
the forest, a prey to wild beasts ? What if the next traveller
should find my bones by the way-side, picked clean by remorse-
less wolves ? And, as if to give force to the suggestion,
Newhouse, who was a short distance in the rear, shouted,
"A wolf! a wolf 1 " My sporting instincts at once prevailed
over my fatigue ; and, cocking my rifle, I rushed into th*

' I-

AN AMATEUR IN THE NORTH WOODS.

171

buslies in the direction indicated, just in time to liear the re-
treatini^ footsteps of the animal dyincr away among the under-
brush. Pursuit was hopeless ; but the excitement of the affair
revived my drooping energy, and for a short time I trod the
lonesome path more lightly.

But this factitious strength was only temporary, and I was
soon more tired than ever. So utterly demoralized did I be-
come, that the sight of a noble buck standing directly in my
path, but a few paces distant, and gazing at me with his large,
lustrous, startled eyes, brimful of wonder, failed to arouse
me in the least ; and I allowed him to walk leisurely away,
unmolested. The only desire of which I was conscious was,
an irrepressible longing for shelter and repose, neither of
which were near at hand.

It was now nearly dark, ajid we had yet several miles to
travel. Newhouse had loitered a miie or two behind, and I
was quite alone. I had long desired to be in the wilderness
at night, far from any human being, for the purpose of testing
mv strength of nerve. I had been curious to know what
would be the effect upon me of such a situation, and whether
my ordinary equanimity would be in any way disturbed by it.
Here was an admirable opportunity to have this (question
definitively settled ; but, unfortunately, I was too tired to in-
dulge in self-examination or thought of any kind, and so
allowed the occasion to pass unimproved. About this time, a
heavy thunder- cloud, which for some time had been sending
forth ominous mutterings, began to discharge its damp con-
tents upon my devoted head. But I was so insufferably weary
as to be entirely oblivious of rain, or thought of personal dan-
ger. The not unfrequent intimation of the close proximity of
of some wild beast caused me no uneasiness, and I could have
faced all the animals in the North Woods en masse with the
most perfect imperturbability. I thought of heaven as a place
of rest, and wished I was safely there. I thought of the rude
log-hut I had left that morning, and my bed of hemlock
boughs, with sensations similar to those with which Adam
must have contemplated his lost Paradise. The forty pounds
of salmon trout on my shoulders weighed down more heavily

;■ i-

r—T-

172

NARRATIVES.

):!:^!

I :*-

1!U I

than the rocks with wliich Dante has loaded some of his unfc>r-
tunale sinners in purgatory. And so I fared slowly on, stop-
ping once in thirty or forty rods to rest, half inclined to throw
away my gun and burden, and yet impelled to their preser-
vation by a sort of native tenacity which was unwilling to
relax any part of my programme.

By this time it was so dark that eyes were a superfluity.
The only method by Avhich I could keep my path was, to be
sure that I was safe in the mud. If, at any time, I chanced to
set foot on dry land, I concluded at once that I had lost the
road ; and my progress could only be resumed by groping about
until my path was once more wet and miry. I sometimes
wonder how I ever succeeded in working my way through
such a labyrinth of diffioulti :s ; and have gratefully attributed
it to the assistance ol rv g- ^^-dian angel, who must have
been sensible that I was very much in need of his aid.

As all things terrestr'r^.L however, whether good or evil,
must at lenii;th come to a?^. ei • so ..• uue time came the ter-
mination of my toilsome journey. After a period which then
seemed a great many hours in length, but which a cool retro-
sj)ect convinces me must have been a much shorter period
of time, I staggered out of the woods, and sank exhausted on
the bank of Moose River. It is my firm conviction that, if
my life had been at stake, I could not have walked another
mile. So I lifted up my voice, and shouted vigorously for the
ferryman on the opposite side of the river, but I received no
reply. It was late at night, and he was doubtless sound
asleep long ere this. Then I essayed to awaken him by dis-
charging my rifle ; but, on snapping the locks of each barrel,
I found t!iat the rain, which was still falling liberally, had so
.lampened the priming as to make the attempt abortive. I
crawled under the shelter of a large hemlock, and finally,
after much awkward fumbling in the darkness, succeeded in
re-capping my rifle, and in pricking some dry powder into the
tubes. This being accomplished, I succeeded in discharging
both barrels, and was gratified to hear an answering shout in
return. In due time a boat appeared, and I was speedily
transferred to comparatively comfortable quarters, where rest
and shelter awaited me.

AN AMATEUR IN THE NORTH WOODS.

173

A more forlorn object than myself, as I emerged from the
woods on that memorable occasion, it would be difficult to
conceive of. Mud, rain, undcrbnish, and mosquitoes had so
thoroughly disguised me that it would have required an inti-
mate acquaintance to have recognized a familiar feature ; and,
as my powers of description are limited, I will leave the con-
ception of my personal appearance to the imagination of the
reader. Thanks, however, to an elastic constitution and a
sojud night's sleep, the ensuing morning found me compara-
tively fresh, and in good condition for the completion of my
journey.

Thus ended my campaign in the woods. We were now
within reach of the appliances of civiliza'j'on, so that it was an
easy matter to reach the nearest railroad station, and avail
ourselves of steam locomotion. Despite the numerous vexa-
tions and petty hai'dships which neccessarily attended my
novitiate in backwoodsmanship, it was, on the whole, a pleas-
ant episode in my life, and one upon which I look back with
none but pleasurable emotions. And, although I should not
choose to establish my permanent residence in the woods, I
can readily sympathize with the attachment to the forest
which characterizes those hardy spirits who are " to the manor
born."

My narrative has but little to do with trapping or even hunt-
ing, and may seem irrelevant in this book. But it relates at
least to life in the woods ; and, to give any thing like a full
view of that subject, it is important to show how such a life
^eems to the inexperienced. This book may induce many
untried youth to enlist in the trapping service ; and, in mercy
to them, I would give them beforehand some adequate con-
ception of the realities before them, that they may not rush
upon the mosquitoes and gnats and wolves and Avhisky, and
long, weary, back-laden journeys, wholly unprepared.

And, after all the tribulations that I have recorded, 1 came
out of the woods with such an appreciation of the discipline
of forest life, that I cannot conclude without expressing the
hope that the time will come when schools, that prize the
health and hardihood that come by gymnastics and military

!'■

174

NARRATIVES.

drill, will turn their attention to hunting and trapping as
means of education ; and, instead of sending occasional de-
tachments of schoolboys in summer on mere aimless pedes-
trian journeys, or into mock encampments, will annually
organize regiments of stalwart youth for penetrating, even in
winter, the savage regions far beyond the frontiers of civiliza-
tion, and doing real service as hunters md trappers of wild
beasts — a service, in my opinion, as dignified and discipli-
nary, to say the least, as war.

III

tu-i !

h^^

li'

:k ^

1 S

11 ^

in,

I ;

TRAVELLING IN A CIRCLE.

Bv J. P. H.

The little pocket-compass is by no means a contemptible
article in the estimation of a woodsman ; it has a place in his
affections equal, perhaps, to that of his clog or gun, and not only
guides him unerringly through the dense and trackless for-
ests, but oftentimes serves him in the capacity of a time-piece.
He places it on the muzzle of his gun, and, if after it has
become settled, the south end of the needle points directly un-
der the sun, he concludes that it is noon ; or, at least, near
enough for his purposes. His compass is the most trustwor-
thy servant he has, and it never fails him if he heeds its
admonitions. But the inexperienced woodsman is sometimes
quite apt to get into a quarrel with his compass, especially
when he loses his bearings and gets his head a little turned.
Thus, when most needing its aid, he frequently heaps curses
upon it, and declares it is "all out of fix." Or he imagines
he has come into close proximity to a bed of iron ore, lode-
stone, or some other wonderful thing that has bewitched his
compass. It does not at first occur to him that there can be
any thing wrong in his calculations, but he reasons something
after the style of the old Indian, who, wiien he was unable to
find his wigwam, vehemently declared, '' Indian no lost !
Indian here I Wigwam lost ! "

It is a noteworthy fact that persons lost in the Avoods travel
in a circuitous course so accurately that they sometimes
revolve round to the same point several times within a short
period.

T told me that he was once travelling in the woods

wrhen there was snow on the ground, and all of a sudden came

176

NARRATIVES.

ri,

^\l

if' I

t-i(

;'H

, I ■

I !

;it

across the track of a man. The track seemed to coincide
witli liis course, so lie " struck " into it and foHowed on, think-
infi; that ere long he might overtake the lonely forester ; but,
after he had travelled half an hour or more, he, to his surprise,
discovered where another track had joined the first. The two
travellers, seeming to be of the same mind as himself, were

travelling on before him. " Well," said T , aftei' a brief

philosoj>hical parley with himself, " the more the merrier."
So he betook himself to his legs and not on somewhat faster
than at first. But presently he stood aghast at a third track
which " struck " into the trail. Fortunately our hero's native
sagacity came to his aid, and he was led to examine the tracks
of his neighbors a little more minutely than he had done, and
his investigations resulted in the discoverv that thev were all
verv much like his own ; indeed, so much so that he deemed
it perfectly safe and altogefher expedient for him to take the
back track of the last traveller, and, if possible, make his way
out of that scene. He accordingly did so, and in due time
found himself " all sound, sir I " as he says, safely landed at
the point from which he started when he first entered the for-
est. He is a little reticent respecting the fate of his three
fellow-bushmen ; but rumor says they were never heard of
more.

I do not remember to have ever heard a satisfactory reason
why a lost person travels round in a circle. It has been
said by somebody, that people generally step a little farther
with the right foot than they do with the left ; so, when they
have nothing to guide them, the tendency is to bear to the
left : thus, in time, they make a circle. But this explanation
is not generally accepted. I am satisfied from experience that
foresters, when lost, do not always turn to the left, and also
that the size of the circle thus made depends very much upon
the character of the forest. If it is open, and free from under-
brush, one does not deviate from a direct course so much as he
would if it were more dense. When a lad, I was connected
with an adventure which bears somewhat on the point in
question.

Near the head waters of the Chenango River, in New York,

TIIAVELUNG IN A CIRCLE.

177

is situated a larfje swamp, called by tlie inhabitants oi' that
retrjon " 'J'he Great Cedar Swamp." It is ei<iht or ten miles
long, and perhaps two or .i ree wide. So borr<i;y is the ground
and so impenetrable is the forest tor man or beast, I doubt if
some parts of it have ever been explored. Neverthless it may
be looked uj)on as a gv.usend to the surrounding inhabitants;
for they are almost exclusively hop-growers, and from this
swamp they get an abundant supply of cedar poles, which are
gathered in wintei', when the groiyid is more or less frozen.

The Chenanoo River flows throui>;h the whole lenjitli of
this swamp ; yet it is so deep and so sluggish, that the motion
of the water is scarcely perceptible, and so crooked, too, that
my boyish fancy used to picture a bird trying to Hy across it
and invariably lighting on the same side from which it started.

At the lower end of this swamp the river leaves the forest,
and, losing its mysterious air, breaks into a merry babble, as it
hurries away over the stones towards the Susquehanna. Here
an old fisherman used occasionally to leave his boat after one
of his fishing excursions up the river, and it was the deligiit
of the adventurous youths of the neighboring town to obtain
this boat, and penetrate as far as possible into the dark recesses
of that solitary swamp.

It was one sunny Sunday when such an opportunity pre-
sented itself to me. Two fellows older than myself (one a
young man) proposed that we should make an excursion up
the river. This was readily agreed to, and we at once pos-
sessed ourselves of the boat. We were told, however, that
the owner intended to use his boat, and very likely would be
after us before we returned. Heedless of all warnings of this
kind, we pushed off, and were soon lost among the alders
along the stream.

We paddled slowly on for half an hour, with nothing to
interrupt our tranquillity but the occasional splash of the musk-
rat, as he disappeared beneath the black water ; or as the spot-
ted turtle, startled at our approach, rolled from off his sunning-
place and also disappeared.

We had almost concluded that we were destined to enjoy
an undisturbed possession of the boat, when we heard, far
18

. 1

178

NAKHATIVKS.

I i

away down tlio river, the stentorian cries of the old fishcrtnun.
We at once conii)rehended tlie situation of things and knew
that he was on our track. We were afraid to go back, and
dared not go forward. So wo awaited our destiny ; uor did we
wait long ere we saw his gri/zly visage peering tlnough tlio
jungle, demanding our surrender, which demand we immedi-
ately and unconditionally complied with. He had a compan-
ion with him, and they were both pretty well s|)ent, owing to
their hard tramp. We expected to get a ducking, or some-
tliing worse ; but on reaching the shore he only gave us, as 1
t]ir)ujiht, a moderate cursing for not bringins the boat back
when he first called to us, for he was sure we heard him. I felt
oome desire to confess my fault and ask his pardon ; but not
oo, I fear, with my comrades. The big individual was deplor-
ably deficient in his moral department, and unhesitatingly
made oath to any thing that his short-sighted natui >. told him
would soonest help him out of difficulty. After laboring much
to impress us with the hardships he had encountered in get-
ting up the river, the old fisherman ended by informing us
that we might get back the same way he cauK', or by any
other we pleased ; he should not ferry us back. Then, to
soften the matter a little, he said that a half mile's travel
directly away from the river would take us out to the settle-
ment, and thus avoid the difficulty of following down the river.

Now, there is an inexorable law pertaining to human nature,
tliat " overv man shall be rewarded according; to his works."
And 1 think this old fisherman did not deal with us according
to our deserts ; therefore, at this point. Providence took the
matter in hand.

We plunged in among the tangled buslies as we were di-
rected, congratulating ourselves with our good luck in coming
off so easily. But our self-complacency was premature ; for
after an exhausting tramp of not less than a mile, I should
think, instead of arriving at the settlement as we hoped, we
all at once found ourselves standing upon the bank of that
same deep and ominously dark river : —

'' Deep into that darkness peering,
Long I stood there, wondering, fearing."

' I'

TRAVELL1N(; IN A CIRCi.E.

179

the

di-

1 lon^if.l to se«' tlio fiioc of tlu' old fisluTinuii onco more,
but lie was gone aiul litid not left even a ripple on tlie smooth
water. We thou«j;ht to follow the river down ; hut, alas ! wo
had forcotten which way was down. We cast sticks into the
water, hoping they would indicate to us its course ; but thei:
movement was so slij;ht that we questioned whether it was
caused by the wind or current. 'J'here was nothin*;; left us
now but to try our first experiment over a<j;ain. This we did
with the same results as befor«>. My bi*:; companion vented his
A'elings in a shower of oaths; while I thought that any thing
would have been more appropriate, under the circumstances,
than cursing; for we were all nearly exhausted, so difficult
was it to push our way through the tangled swamp-grass and
bushes. But we must get out of our terrible situation in some
way ; so we sallied forth again. After tramping onward for
some time, I remember, we came to a partially decayed fish-
basket, that had probably been long since left there by some
fisherman. Glad to see any thing that reminded us of civili-
zation, we halted to rest a little, and to hold a briel consulta-
tion. Here we resolved that, if it was our lot to strike the
river again, we would not leave it, but wait for the boat to
come down and take us in. With this resolution we ajxain set
forth; but our senses had become so bewildered, that, I dare
say, we had not travelled ten minutes before we came plump
upon that old fish-basket. My big companion was again vio-
lent in his expressions; but we scrambled on, not knowing
whither we went, until, as chance would have it, we again
stood on the bank of the river.

We now climbed a tree, and set our lungs as vigorously at
work as our legs had been, calling loudly for the old fisher-
man. It was not until we had screamed ourselves hoarse that
we heard a faint sound far away up the river. It was now his
turn to comprehend the condition of things, and after taking
his own time for it, he came down to our relief. But, oh, how
rejoiced I was to see his craft winding round a bend just
above us ! He seemed like a father to me : his weather-worn
face had a charm about it undiscovered before; no matter if
an artful smile did play around his mouth on witnessing our

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180

NAHKATIVES.

forlorn t'oiulitioii. He spoke kiiully to us, and took us aboard
his boat, and, after administering some wholesome advice, he
soon landed us once more in a civilized reo;ion. If I should
ever see the old veteran iio;ain, I would try to prove to him
that I had profited by his advice.

;t !

'ih

EXPEDITION TO THE

LAUKENTIAN

HILLS.

•

15v THEODORE L. PITT.

Skvf.hai, mill's north of tlic villaijje

Miidoc,

in Cniiiula

West, n tr;iv»'llri', jouriu'ving iiortlivvard, eiitors ui»oii ii sec
tion of country to which "jt'olotrists hsivo given th(i iianio of
Laurontian Hills. These hills stretcli from the Ottawa Riv(.'r
to Georgian Bay, and from the neigliborhood of Madoc to the
region of the Madawaska. This portion of Canada is sup-
posed by geologists to be the widest land in the world. Here
was the primeval continent — the first "dry land " that "ap-
peared " above the all-enveloj)ing ocean, that, in those far-
oft' days of creation, rolled unbroken round the globe. The
rocks of this region are the oldest in kind with which man
anywhere comes in contact. Tlu-y ai'e azoic rocks — rocks in
which no indications of animal lile can be traced. 'I'hey have
no fossils, and if anv living creatures existed in the ancient
ages in which these rocks were formed, all evidences of then'
exister "•» have utterly passed away in the geologic revolu-
tions. The country is emphatically a land of hills. They
seldom if ever rise to tlie dignity of momitain , but below
this they are of all sizes and shaj)es. Generally their longer
axis is from northeast to southwest. The land apj)ears as if it
had once been a vast sea of molten rock lashed into fury by a.
northwest gale, or the boiling of Plutonic Hres, and then in a
moment congealed. The region is all undeilaid with rock
at the depth of a few feet, and it crops out continually. There
are visible ledges, vast beds, and bowlders innumerable. Per-
pendicular cliffs hundreds of feet high are found, sometimes
overhanging the clear wat6 rs of a lake ; at others, the lofty tops

182

NARRATIVES.

I H

'i ?

of a pine forest. There are great walls of rock piled up,
which look as if the Titans of old niytlioloiiy had worked
there in the unkiM)wn ages. If one wishes to study rock-
work on the largest scale, let him go to the Laurentian Hills
and see the backbone of the world. He will see more. He
will see the workshop where the continents were mide. All
the rocks that are now to be seen are but the I'emnants of
what existed in the old ao;es, hundreds of millions of years
ago. They are all ground down and smoothed and rounded
by untold cycles of abrasion and disintegration. I can hardly
imagine scenery more impressive and suggestive of the mighty
power that has worked upon the world in the long, long past.
The Laurentian Hills and valleys are covered with forests
of pine, hemlock, hard-wood, cedar, tamarack, &c., and form
a paradise for the lumbermen, large companies of whom cany
on their o|)erations there. The Canadian government has
opened I'oads running northerly into the forests at intervals of
twenty or thirty miles. Settlers have penetrated along these
roads and made clearinos and erected loo;-cabins, far into the
back country. But it is not a favorable country for farming:
the summers are frosty, the winters long and severe, the soil
is rocky and shallow. Many deserted cabins are seen, and
clearings growing up with forests again. Here and there a
section is found where the soil produces fair crops of grain.
The greater jiortion, however, will always remain in wood-
land, and continue to be one of the best trapping grounds in
Canada for years to come. The head waters of several river
systems are in this region, and thousands of small streams
and lakes abound. The rocks which underlie the country are
mostly impervious to water, and the creeks which wind among
the hills, wherever they find a basin, fill it and form a lake.
These lakes are one of the most interesting characteristics of
the country. Their waters are pure and soft. Encircled as
they are with woods, the arrangement of the trees around
them is a noticeable feature of the landscape. Next to the
water is a belt of evergreens, broken rarely in low, marshy
places by sections of black ash, or on low, sandy beaches by
white birch. Nearest the waters is a fringe of cedars, whose

EXPEDITION TO THE LAURENTIAN HILLS. 183

brandies droop, ami, when the waters are liigli, touch the
waves. Back of the cedars are the hemlocks and pines, and
beyond these, on the uplands, the hard-wood timber. In au-
tumn, when the tints are changing, this arrangement forms
beautiful pictures. The dark-green of the pines and hem-
locks mingles far uj) the hills, in all picturesque ways, with the
splendors of birches, beeches, and maples. The waters of the
lake and the cedar fringe form a base to the scene. Over all
comes the play of sunshine and shadow.

To this region, in the autumn of I8G0, sevei'al members of
the Oneida Coinnmnity went on a trai)ping excursion, under
the lead of the old trapper and hunter, Mr. John Hutchins,
whose character and adventures have been sketclied on pre-
vious pages. Their departure from home was announced by
the editor of the " Circular " in the following terms : —

" On Monday next, September 25tli, mu expedition will set out
from the Onei(hi Connnunity for the backwoods of Upper Canada.
The object is trapping, and the company go prepared for a six
months' campaign in the wood?. Tlie expedition consists of —

"John H. Noyes, Author and Inventor;

" John Hutchins, old Maine trapper and hunter ;

" John P. Hutchins, son of the latter, and member of the Oneida
Community ;

" Theodore L. Pitt, ex-Editor of the ' Circular ' ;

" George Campbell, ex-Financier of the Oneida Community."

The objects of our expedition, more fidly stated, were as
follows : 1. A practical acquaintance with life in the woods,
and its healthful influences ; 2. Traj)ping and acquaintance
with trappers ; 3. Fur-buying and study of the fur-ti-ade.
The progranmie included within its possibilities a winter cam-
paign in the woods, and an outfit was prej>ared accordingly.
As this outfit was made under the suj)ervision of Messrs.
Hutchins and Newhouse, and was the result of their combined
wisdom, it is perhaps worth copying, for the benefit of others
plaiming similar expeditions. It was as follows : —

OtJTFIT.

Guns ; ammunition ; fishing tackle ; two good salmon

184

NARRATIVES.

m \

Mil

U,<>i

spears ; two light axes ; two butcher-knives, and one howel
or round adze. One liatehet, one pocket-comj)ass, one stout
pocket-knife, one double-case watch, a shoulder-basket and
a haversack for each man. Provisions taken from home : One
bushel of beans, two dozen cans of preserved fruits and vege-
tables, and a few cans of condensed milk. Clothing^ <J'c.: One
good blanket, one stout suit, two woolen shirts, two j)airs
of woolen drawers, six pairs of woolen stockings, one |)air
of camp shoes, one pair of boots, and two pairs of wooh-n
mittens, for eacli man ; scissors, needles, thread, thimbles,
wax, patches, «fec., in abundance ; matches in abundance, in
tin safes or bottles, air or water tight ; one pocket match-safe
for each man. Cooking utensils : Two six-quart camp-kettles,
two frying-pans, one baking-kettle ; tin plates, sj)oons, knives,
forks, basins, coffee-pot and pails. Miscellaneous : One cU'aw-
shave, one hand-saw, one hammer, one inch auger, four
gimlets, two lamps and a globe lantern ; files, nails, and
tacks ; pillow-sack and night-cap for each nuui ; sacks for
hammock - beds ; snow-shoes for each man; fish -oil for
bait; ink -stands, [)ens, and pencils; writing-paper; one
dog.

Additional provisions to be taken into the woods were
bouiiht at the last village on our route. These consisted of
flour, oat-meal, sugar, butter, salt, pepper, &c.

The destination of the party, according to programme, was
a point on the Hastings Road, near the head waters of the
Trent River. On arrival there, we were to reconnoitre,
and, if prospects were unfavorable, go on further north. Mr.
Hutchins had trapped in that region several seasons before,
and considered it a favorable locality for accomplishing our
purposes.

We started from Oneida about noon on the 25th of Sep-
tember, and arrived at McKillican's, sixty miles north of
Belleville, on the Hastings Road, the third day after, at mid-
night. It is sufficient to say of the journey, that we had
descended in regular order of travel from the railroad to the
eteamboat, from the steamboat to the stage-coach, and from
the stage-coach to the lumber wagon. The noxt ste}: wat

EXPEDITION TO THE LAURENTIAN HILLS. 185

pedestrianism : we had eiiDUgh of that afterwards. I will
say, however, that the traveller on the Hastinjfs R(«i(I, after
reaching Jordan, sixteen miles beyond Madoc, if he consults
his personal comfort, will eschew all other modes of convey-
ance except those with which nature has furnished him, — his
own legs, or perhaps horseback-riding. Even the latter is
not the safest operation a man can perform. Hastings Road
from Jordan to the York River is truly a " hard road to
travel."

McKillican's is the clearing and habitation of Benjamin
McKillican, a worthy Scottish Highlander, who, with his fam-
ilv, emigrated from Inverness to Canada manv vcars ago.
Nine or ten years since, he settled on the Hastings Road,
took up government land and began improvements. He is now
seventy years of age ; a friendly, hospitable, honest man,
and a fine representative of the Scottish faith and earnestness
in religion. His family, at the time we were there, consisted
of himself and wife ; two handsome daughters, who in health,
refinement, and industrious activity, were noble sj)ecimens of
backwoods life : and two vouno-er sons. Our acquaintance
and sojourns with this family, first and last, are among the
pleasant memories of our expedition.

Seven miles west of McK.'s was Mr. Hutchins's old trap-
ping ground. Four years before, he had left it at sixty years
of age, and gone to the war. Those years had made as great
changes in the backwoods as in the Southern Confederacy.
Other trappers had come in and " occupied the land." Set-
tlers were penetrating the wilds on either hand. Fires had
swej)t through vast tracts of forest. Mink, beaver, and fisher
had become less numerous. If we would find good trap])ing
grounds we must go on towards the North Pole, or penetrate
many miles into the wilderness, east or west from the Has-
tings Roiid. The next morning after our arrival at McK.'s,
the question of location was fairly before us. We made in-
quiries, we sent out scouts, we studied the maps of the country.
The result was, the selection of Salmon Lake and the adja-
cent region, seven miles northeast from McK.'s, as our
"camping ground." The locality seemed attractive on the

18G

NARRATIVES.

I If
I' I

V 1

map, beintr full of lakes and streams. It was said to be out
of the range of settlements ; was nnoccnpied by trappers.
The choice was between this locality and going on forty or
fifty miles to the Madawaska rt^gion. The latter was far be-
yond the range of the white trapj)ers, and occn])ied by Indians
who were unfriendly to intruders. We decided for Salmon
Lake.

How to get to Salmon Lake was tlie next question. There
were no roads ; at least we could hear of none. There was
no navigable river. We shouldered our pack-baskets and
rifles, and explored. An old winter lumber-road, which Avas
said to run nearly to the point we wished to reach, was first
tried. We followed it two miles and a half, most of the way
over burnt and fallen timber, and through a swamp half-leg
deep in water, the rain in the mean time coming down in a
steady drizzle on our heads. At last we came to an old lumber
shanty, and camped for the night. As this shanty was a fair
specimen of the lumberman's usual habitation, I will briefly
describe it. It was about twenty feet square, seven and a
half feet high at the sides, and nine and a half feet at the
peak of the roof. Each side was built of five great logs, some
of which were two feet in diameter. The roof was made of
split logs hollowed into troughs, and placed in this position :
^S^:S^^^^y^^S^- '^^^ ^''^ cracks and holes were compactly filled
with moss. The chimney was merely a crib of six-inch sticks
laid up log-house fashion from the roof, and placed directly
over the centre of the buildino;. It was four or five feet
square at the base, and served the double purpose of carrying
off the smoke and liijhtin}:; the shanty. The fire-i)lace was an
altar of soil and stones surrounded with timbers, raised a foot
or more from the floor, directly under the chimney. There
were no windows. Around the sides were two tiers of sleep-
inc-bunks. All throujih the Canada woods, wherever there
is good pine timber, these shanties may be found. They are
occupied in winter by twenty or thirty lumbermen, and after
the timber is all culled, and transported from the vicinity, are
abandoned.

We cleared out the rubbish from the shanty, built a fire,

EXPEDITION TO THE LAUREN TI AN HILLS. 187

gathered in great armf'uls of balsam and lieiulock boughs for
beds, ate supper, wrapped our blankets about us, and sle])t our
first night in the Canada woods. Already we had begun to
feel a fresh vigor j)ulsating in our veins as we tramped the
virgin soil, drank the pure water, and breathed the perfumed
atmosphere of tin; woods. How new and rich the sensation
of tramping all day in the rain and swamj)-water, through
unknown forests, and lying down at niu-ht on evergreen boughs
to dream of friends far away !

The next morning, Mr. Hutehms, who had been reconnoi-
tering in a diftc'rent direction, came up with us and reported
he had found a better route. As there was no pi'ospect of
reaching the lake short of several days' travel, by this route,
and as our provisions were nearly exhausted, we cooked a
meal of red squirrels, and retreated. A definite plan was
now arranged. A mile and a hslf east from McK.'s was Bass
Lake. From Bass Lake to Salmon Lake there was an outlet
five miles long. This outlet was reported navigable with ca-
noes, but no one had voyaged through it for several years.
P , who lived on Bass Lake, said the thing was practi-
cable. We concluded to try it. On an island in Bass Lake
grew lofty pines suitable for canoes. P was an experi-
enced builder of that kind of ci-aft. We would go to Bass
Lake, build canoes, transport our baggage to the shore of that
lake, and set sail — paddle, rather — down the " Outlet." We
worked cheerfully, happily, and hard for .t week ; built three
canoes, got our baggage across from McK.'s, loaded our ves-
sels, and started.

VOYAGE DOWN TIIK OUTLET.

It was morning ; perhaps we should get to Salmon Lake,
four or five miles distant, by nightfall. The mouth of the
outlet was shallow and narrow, so that we had to deepen it
with pick and shovel the day before. No matter ; it would
grow deeper. One canoe was fifteen feet long, and thirty
inches across the gunwale, carrying three hundred pounds of
baggage. Three persons occupied and managed it. The

188

NARRATIVES.

other canoes were small ; would carry one man each, and
considerable freight.

Gradually, very gradually, the water grew deeper, and the
big canoe would occasionally float a rod or two, without nuicli
lifting or tugging at the paddle. But it would soon strike a
lojT. If tlie lofT was seven or eiffht inches below the surface
of tile water, the canoe could be pushed over, by using the
j)addles as poles, without mucli difficulty. If the log was
nearer the surfiice, other tactics had to be resorted to. How
we finally learned

TO NAVIGATE A BOAT IN A SHALLOW STREAM FULL OF STONES

AND LOGS,

is thus told by J. H. N. : —

" It sometimes happens that the trapper, in following his
line, or in ])as8ing from one lake to another, finds himself with
his boat in a small stream, with rocks and fallen trees obstruct-
ing his way. The Oneida party, in descending from Bass
Ijake to Salmon Lake, encountered five miles of this kind of
navigation. The creek that connects the two lakes was re-
duced by drouth to a mere rivulet, with only occasional pud-
dles large enough to float the boatr. ; and though somebody
had forced a wav through, some years before, bv sawino; and
chopping away logs with incredible heroism and perseverance,
much of his labor was lost to us, first, because the !ow state
of the water brought out into bold relief the lower strata of
logs, which he had easily sailed over ; and, secondly, because
hundreds of new trees had fallen across the creek since his
dt'scent. Moreover, the beaver dams had all been repaired,
and we had to work our way over twelve of them. We esti-
mated by rough guess that the logs we cut through or dragged
over numbered about twelve hundred, and the rough rocks
(far worse than logs) that we ])olished with our boat-bottoms
were about as many more. In the course of nearly three
days' work on these five miles of boating, it may be believed
that we learned some practical lessons which it will be useful
to record for the benefit of future navigators. We tried two
ways of getting along, as people generally do in travelling

,.i

his

vith

uct-

iass

I of
re-

ud-

ody
nd

nee,
ate
of
use
his
ed,
sti-
ed

tms
ree
•ed
ful
wo
ing

EXPEDITION TO THE LAURENTIAN HILLS. 189

^' Jordan roads ; " namely, first, the dainty, conservative way,
and afterwards, when stern necessity had lectured us into an
accommodating spirit, the "rough-and-ready" way.

"THE CONSERVATIVE WAY.

" October in tlie Canada wilderness means November in
New York, as we found by the snow-squalls we encountered
ni tliose three days. Of course the water was far from being
warm ; and of course the ex-clergyman, editor, and financier
siirank a little from wetting their feet 1 We were willing from
the start to wade in water of moderate depth, say up to the
ankle, or anywhere below the tops of our boots ; and with only
this reservation we worked hard and heroicallv, and, to sav
the truth, conquered many obstructions and got along tolerably
well ; that is to say, at the rate perhaps of a quarter of a mile
in iialf a day. Three of us novices had in charge the big
boat, with its load of three or four hundred pounds ; and our
way was, when we came to a log that could be surmounted
without chopping, first to run the bow on as far as we could
bv a vigorous shove of all hands. Then the man at the bow
would step out carefully on the log, so as not to take water into
his boots, and, the bow being thus lightened, the remainder of
the crew could shove it further on. The man on the log
could not help much, as his footing was not secure, and he
had as much as he could do to look out against wetting his
feet, and to find a safe way back to his seat in the boat at the
proper time. When we had worked along till the log was
under the middle of the boat, the bow man would get in, and
the 'midship man would get out, on the log of course ; and
finally, when the balancing crisis was past, and the stern came
to be the point of friction, the 'midship man would get in, and
the man behind get out, still on the log. In this way we kopt
our feet partially dry, that is, dry as they could be with water
soaking through the leather, and running in at cracks ; but
our progress was very slow. Night overtook us before we had
accomplished a quarter of what we had undertaken as a mere
afternoon's job ; and Heaven only knows whether we should
have ever reached Salmon Lake if we had not at last con-
cluded to try —

190

NARRATIVKS.

i ffc .

" THE ROUGH-AND-READY WAY.

"John P. lm<l charge of one of the small boats, and at the
same time kept within liaiHng (hstancc of the hwff- boat, so
as to assist the three civihans at the worst pinches. Ho liad
seen service of this kind in other days, and knew that the best
way was to " take the bidl by the horns." He laufrhed at (mr
])ohcy of keeping the water out of our boots by balancing and
teetering on tiie logs, and set us an example of working on
firm footing at tlie bottom of the creek, without regard to the
depth of water. He reasoned and exhorted and scolded ; and
slowly his radicalism began to prevail ovei' our timidity. The
ex-clergyman (otherwise called the inventor) first gave in and
went to work in John P.'s fashion, without the fear of wet
feet before his eyes. The financier soon followed suit, and
the ex-editor, slowly, reluctantly, but finally with a faithful
willfulness that beat us all, adopted the simple policy of con-
sidering cold water a harndess medium to travel and work in,
favorable ]n'obably to health by causing reaction. Thenceforth
we worked at boat-shoving with free hands and firm feet, and
a strenuous heartiness that changed toil into sport, and carried
us triumphantly through the niost tremendous job of uncivil
euffineerinj; that three civilians ever undertook. The difier-
ence between our first policy and our last was, that we began
with trying to keej) the water out of our boots, and ended
with being contented to keep it out of our breeches pockets !

" After our first conversion to the " rough-and-ready " pol-
icy, we had still to learn an important subordinate lesson in
regard to the best way of economizing vital heat in dealing
with the water in our boots. At first we imaojined it was best
to get rid of the cold and incumbrance of each bootful we
took in as soon as possible ; and, for this purpose, at every
opportunity we would sit down and lift first one foot and then
the other to a position about as high as the head, and let the
water run out at the top of the hoots, taking care of course ta
keep the pantaloons out of the reach of the torrent ; as, other-
wise, what left the boots would run down in the cloth tube ta
the central and posterior regions of the body. But reflectioa

EXI'KDITION TO THE LAUKENTIAN HILLS. 191

convinced us that this practice of constantly clianging the water
in our boots was not wise. A bootl'ul that lias been worked
in for some time becomes partially warm, and soon ceases to
be nncoml'ortahle so far as temperature is concerned. In fact
it may be conceived of as a kind of stocking, protecting the
feet fi'om the colder water outside, and not easily displaced hv
what flows in at the top. To turn out this warm water, there-
fore, at every opportum'ty, and immediately take a charge of
cold water in its place, was a great waste of vital heat, which
we finally learned to avoid. Thus we came at last to work
right along without paying any special attention to our feet,
and found in pursuing this policy true economy of force every
way, and no ultimate damage to health or comfort.''

The party also learned some other things on this voyage,
which the same writer reports as follows : —

nig

" hi: AVER DAMS.

** Having opportunity for actual inspection of a great num-
ber of beaver dams, we got some new ideas about them. Bea-
vers do literally cut down trees and cut off logs. Their lower
front teeth are really chisels. We found one that had dropped
out, pi'obably, from the jaw of a superannuated beaver. It
was a curved tusk, two or three inches long, and, instead of
being pointed, was beveled off at the end as accurately as
any chisel, and had a true-cutting edge of u quarter of an
inch in breadth. We saw many specimens of their work,
which, at a little distance, could hardly be distinguished from
axe-cuttings. Boys' hatchet-work woidd not compare with
them for smoothness.

" But the idea that beavers build any thing like a comrnt)n
human dam — namely, a regular log structure or stockade, ris-
ing with a steep, definite slope against the stream — is a mis-
take. Their dams are simply huge deposits of sticks and
mud, mixed, and laid, apparently without much order, across
the stream. We saw none that raised the water more than
about a foot ; and sometimes the first notice we had of a dam
was from running our boat aground in what had appeared to
be deep and smooth water. Neither did we find any confir-

i,;J

1^ I

192

NAllKATIVES.

I Ml

m '

mation of the popular statement that beavers strentjthen
their dams by a curve or angle up-strear.;. Some of the dams
we saw were straifj^ht, and some curved down-stream, but not
one curved or cornered up-stream.

" HOW TO ' SHANTY.'

" When night overtook us in tlie midst of our boat-dragging,
the old trapper would say, ' It is time to shanty.' By this
he did not mean that it was time for us to go into a shanty,
for there was no shanty within miles of us. He simply meant
that it was time for us to prepare for the night. The ap-
proved method of ' shantying ' in this sense, as we learned
it from several experiments under Mr. Hutchins's instruc-
tion, shall be minutely described ; and ouglit to be carefully
studied by all who are liable to be caught out in the woods in
cold weather, with no lodging-place but the ground under the
stars.

" A party at work or on the march in the woods ought to
stop and prej)are for night at least an hour before dark ; as the
work to be done is not trifling, nor can it be done without
light.

" The first matter to be attended to is the selection of a
suitable place. Any smooth spot under the trees near your
line of march might seem to be good enough ; especially if
you are tired, and shivering with wet feet and wet clothes,
and want fire and supper as soon as possible. But, if you
choose thus in a hurry, you may repent. You have a big
load of substantial wood to prepare for your night's fire,
and you must have reference to this in locating your camp.
Soft-wood trees, such as hemlock and cedar, are good for
nothing ; and you must not think of trusting to dead limbs
and brushwood. A fire made of these may boil a pot and
give you a momentary comfort ; but what you want is a huge,
solid log-fire that will take care of you for hours together, and
allow you to sleep in peace. You must find a spot where there
are hard-wood trees, such as maple, beech, iron-wood, or
birch, which you can fell right beside your fire-place. Other-
you will have to conclude yciur day's work with some

EXPEDITION TO THE LAUKENTIAN HILLS. lUft

of a
vour
lyif
lies,
you
big
fire,
imp.
for
mbs
and

and

Ihere

;her-

ome

of the hardest hinging that you ever tried. This matter of
a good supply of hard, green fire-wood is first in import-
ance. Next to tliis it is desirable to Iteep within moderate
distance of a stream or spring, as you have the food to cook
and the dishes to wash for supper and breakfast, and will
need a good deal of water. Lastly, for a good place to sleep
on, you must have in front of your fire-place a smooth space,
nearly level, sloping perhaps a little toward the fire, and if
possible a little lower than the fire, so that the blaze will shine
fairly over you and cover you as with a blanket.

" Having chosen your spot, one of the party fells a tree as
tall as can be found, and ten inches or a foot through ; cuts
the trunk into logs eight or ten feet long, and works up the
top for small wood. In the mean time another man prepares
and drives two stout stakes into the ground at the back of
the fire-place, about six feet apart, and four feet high, brac-
ing them from behind with other stakes sloping into notches
near their tops. Three of the biggest logs are now placed,
one upon another, against the stakes, forming a great wooden
cliimney-back, three or four feet high. For andirons you find,
if possible, two large stones ; but, if stones are scarce, you cut
a ten-inch hemlock, and, taking two short logs from the butt,
place them against your back-logs at right angles to them. On
these yon lav the fourth of your great hard-wood logs ; and
thus you have the foundation of your night's fire. While
some are making these preparations, others ought to be gather-
ing hemlock bark and dry limbs in great quantities to start
the fire, and to enliven it from time to time. Also, if neces-
sary, another hard-wood tree should be felled, that you may
have one or two extra logs to put on towards morning.

" The kindling of a fire in the woods, especially in a hard

rain, requires some science. A good way is to find a dead

» dar or other soft-wood tree tluat leans to the south. The

wood and bark on the sunny side of such a tree is sure to be

dry. Split off some strips, and reduce them to fine whitlings

with your 'ack-knife, under your coat or other cover ; and,

with careful manipulation of matches and kindling stuff, you

will soon have a roaring fire under and over the great tore-

■■;'
iil

394

NARRATIVES.

Wi 1 1

stick, that will defy the rain. Hemlock or pine bark, taken
from dead trees, is excellent fuel for an incipietit fire. Bnt it
must be laid on earefnlly in cob-honse fashion, with the out-
side next the fire. After a whiK', tlu> fn.ions blaze you
have started witli h'<rl>t material will cet ?>osse.ssion of the
great green logs, and then the fire will take care of itself
for hours. Almost hterally it shall be to yen a ' wall of fire '
through the h)ng cold-night.

" Now hang on the kettle for sn|)per. This is easily done
by cutting a i)ole ten or fifteen feet long, sharpening the hirge
end, and thrusting it obli(|uely into tlie ground back of your
fire-place, so that the small part will rest on the top back-stick,
and the end will proji>ct over the fire. A twig left at the
proper place will prevent the kettle from slip|)ing.

" All that remains, to make rcaily for sleep, is to prepare
your bed. For this, hendock or cedar boughs will do ; but
balsam boughs are the best. The handiest way is to cut elown
a good-sized balsam-tree near your camp, and strip off its top
brush either with your jack-knife or hatchet. This bed-
material must not be tumbled into the sleeping-place pell-mell ;
but must be carefully packed, bough by bough, by thrusting
the stick-ends into and under the mass, and leaving the brush-
ends to shingle over each other, like the feathers of a bird. If
you neglect this, you must expect to roll and groan on hard
sticks, instead of sleeping quietly on tree leathers. You sleep,
of course, in your blank«.'t, with your boots for your pillow, and
T'itii your feet to tlie fire. If ' the stars look kindly uown '
upon you, no matter how cold the weather is. You cuu sleep
within the magic circle of that Cyclopean fire, though the
water freezes hard in your water-p lil at a little distance.

"But what ii it rains? Then the par y must put their
blankets into common stock, extemporize a shelter-tent with
one or two of them, and sleep as well as they can under the
rest, spread bed-fashion. For the fram^-work of the tent you
can cut five or six fish-poles, and thrust their large ends ob-
liquely into the ground at the head of your bed, so that they
slope up over the place where you are to lie, like the rafters
of ft roof. You fasten the upper ends with strings to a trana-

'I '

EXPEDITION TO THE LAUKENTIAN HILLS. 195

verse fisli-pole ; and then you spread the blunk(!ts on the raf-
ters, and fasten them by pinninj; thcin to the transverse pole
and to each other at tlie njiddle ed<fes.

"N. B. — Beware of ox|)osinj^ cotton fixinj^s of any kind to
the continfj;encies of a jjreat o])en fire, with tiie winds busy
and the sparks flyiiijr."

The third day <jf the voya^fe, about noon, we readied the
open waters of Sahnon Lake, and never was a sight more
welcome to tired travellers.

SALMON LAKE

Is a beautiful sheet of water, six or cir!;ht miles long and
from one to two miles wide. So fiir as we explored, we found
it surrounded by an uiil)roken wilderness, excepting two small
clearings fornierly made by trapjjcrs and two deserted shan-
ties. Two miles from where we located, there was a lumber
shanty and a company engaged in the lumber business.

and

HOW WE LIVED AT SALMON LAKE.

This is told in a letter written by one of the party, as
follows : —

" At Boh Hoixand's ou) Shantv, )
" Salmon Lake, C. W., October 21, 1865. )

" Dear Friends, — Human society is, after all, but a great
human body. The head and trunk }»nd vital organs may be
represented by the civilized and enlightened portions of man-
kind, — those portions where intercommunication is the most
close and continuous, where the movijjg forces are generated,
and the highest workings of thought and feeling are OLveloped
and educated. But this great human body stretches its hands
and feet out into the wilderness, where only the Indian, the
pioneer, the trapper, and the lumberman are to be found ; and
where hardihood, and battle with the elements, the forests, and
the animals are the required and the prominent facts of life.
Here the circulating fluids move slowly, the lines of communi-
cation are far between, and the cuticle is thick and tough. The
pulsations of the great heart are felt, but they are minute and
feeble. The railroad has afar off given place to the stage-

196

NARKATIVES.

lilf

'Iff- ■

•i •

route, the stage-route to the lumber-road, tne lumber-road to
the blazed foot-path of the trapper and pioneer. The school-
house is far beyond the liorizon. The newspaper, that indis-
pensability of the interi ir and superior regions of the body,
reaches litre only by accident and rarely. The sun here
rises over the forest-crowned hills of the east, looks all day
long on vast tracts of v/oodland, on clear-blue lakes wood-
encircled, on solitary shanties, where solitary men, or perhaps
a man and a woman and some children, try to solve their
problems of life ; looks through forest-branches perhaps on the
dingy form of some solitary trapper, who wanders by shaded
streams and sleeps by his log-fire ; and then it sets beyond the
forest-crowned hills of the west. Here is where the hands
and feet of humanity are found as it comes to take possession
of the earth. Those (extremities are worth comins to see, —
worth getting acquainted with- — worth ai)preciating. ' Tiie
eye cannot say unto the hand, " I have no need of thee ; " n(»r
ao;ain the head to the feet, '' I have no need of vou." ' ' We
are all members one of another,' and should ' reineml)er those
in bonds,' or in the wilderness and extremities of society, ' as
bound with them.'

" BEYOND COCK-CROWING AND THE COW-BELLS.

" An 04ieida correspontlent raises the query whether we
have, after all, got beyond hearing the 'crowing of the rooster
or the tinkle of the cow-bells.' Our friends need give them-
selves no anxietv on this point. The rocks and hills of this re-
gion (Salmon Lake) are as free from the sound of the church-
going and cow-going bells as the valle> s and rocks of Robin-
son Crusoe's island ; and the crv of no fowl more domestic in
its habits than the loon ever echoed from these shores. Soli-
tary human beings have sojourned here in former years. The
old shanty which we temporarily occupy was once occupied
by a trapper noted in these regions. This shanty is eight feet
by ten, with an average height of five feet. There is an un-
finished shanty of more ambitious proportions a few feet in tho
rear. On the opposite shore is an unoccupied log-hut. At
the other end of the lake there is a new lumber shanty, which

EXPEDITION TO THE LAURENTIAN HILLS. 197

is now occupied by twenty or thirty lumbermen. The sound
of the great trees falling on the distant hill-sides, reminding
one of the reports of far-off cannon, and the occasional ap-
pearance of one of the shantyrnen's red canoes passing under
the shadows of the cedars on ^he eastern shores, are the prin-
cipal evidences that other huh. < beings are near us.

" ELEVEN DAYS ON SALMON LAKE.

" We have now been at Salmon Lake about eleven days.
They have been days of active campaigning. We have had
to secure means and routes of regular communication with the
outside world, bring up our baggage, select ground for our
home-shanty, and commence the building of that structure ;
had to do what we could in the way of securing a supply of
fish, and attend to the daily duties of the camp-kitchen and
quartermaster's department. I do not know that the details of
any of these operations can be given in a way to make them
specially interesting to you. Still there are some things than
I will note. First, as to the

QUARTERMASTER S DEPARTMENT.

((

I judge that it has been seldom that five men (three of
them six-footers, or thereabouts) have occupied more limited
quarters than have we for the last week. The old shanty
which we inhabit measures eight feet by ten on the floor, and
is five feet high under the middle of its shed roof. In one
corner is a stone fire-place, which dischf "ges its smoke through
fH square hole in the roof. Between i\\e fire-place and the
door is a space about two feet and a half by three, sunk a little
lower than the average of the shanty floor, in which the cook
can stand to prepare the meals, and in which our shortest
man, Mr. Campbell, can stand upright. The remainder of
the floor is covered with balsam-boughs for a common bed.
We can just crowd on to this bed (five of us) at night, by
stretching ourselves spoon-fashion, with our heads on a log-
pillow and our feet to the fire. It is rather a difficult matter
for one to turn over without a simultaneous movement of the
whole corps. By ' moving careful,' however, and with mill-

198

NAKRATIVES.

Ai.ii

tary precision, the thing can be done. To lie out straight on
one's back, between tlie heels and knees, and other protuber-
ances of the sleepers on either side, is an equally difficult
operation. Notwithstanding the smallness of our quarters, we
are not troubled with the ventilation question. Our door is
an old coat, which swings free in the breeze, and rather as-
sists the draught of the chimney ; besides which, there are vari-
ous crevices in the walls and roof, where the moss and chink-
ing have tumbled out, that give unimpeded entrance to the
air, and exit to the surplus smoke. Across the shanty, just in
front of the fire and over the foot of the bed, Mr. N. has
placed a seat, which we call the ' deacon's seat.' In front of
this, we erect a table at meal-time by placing a single leg un-
der one end of a short hemlock slab, and inserting the other
end between the logs of the shanty. It is crowding work to
get round at evening and morning, or on rainy days, when
baking and cooking are going on, and the table is being set.
Yet we manage to keep good-natured, and enjoy it. Even
such limited quarters are preferable, in the cool nights and
days of late October, to the open camp in the woods, and we
have been thankful for their tenii)orary use."

By this time we had our hoine-shanty about half built, and
were contemplating a vigorous trapjiing campaign. We were
looking the long Canada winter in the face, and rejoicing in
the prospect of a battle with it. John P. had begun to set
traps, and in the course of two nights had caught a fine mink
and ten muskrats. We had selected a beautiful location on
the north shore of the lako for a winter home. Rowing,
spearing fish, felling trees, and shanty building had succeeded
to the arduous toils of the vovajje through the terrible " Out-
et." The signs of game were ratiier scarce in the immediate
vicinity of the lake, but our plans were to run lines of traps
far back into the northern woods, where mink, marten, and
beaver were supposed to exist in abundance. At this junct-
ure it became evident that the health of our captain was not
equal to the execution of the campaign he had planned. For
most of the time since reaching McK.'s he had been partially
disabled. Now, just as we were building our shanty and pro-

EXPEDITION TO THE LAURENTIAN HILLS. 199

paring for effective trapping, and were relying on him for lead-
ership, he was prostrated for nearly two days, and unable to do
any thing. A due consideration of his condition, of the fact
that we were all novices in trapping except John P., and of the
unfavorable indications of the region as to fur, led us to resolve
on a retreat and a " change of base." J. H. N. tells the story
of his

LAST DAY IN CAMP, .

as follows: — - - .

" I was left alone in camp three or four days on account of
a sore hand. In the first place I blistered it by chopping and
paddling, and finally it became so bad that I could do neither
with any comfort. So I stayed at home to be cook and maid
of all work. I had remained there two or three days, leading
very much such a life as Robinson Crusoe is reported to have
done. The other men were off about two miles, and I had
the whole shanty to myself, which was not a very great do-
main. It was generally perfectly still, — not a sound to be
heard. The slightest crackle was a startlinrj event. I would
jump up and look out to see what was coming, and perhaps
it would prove to be a red squirrel, which would peer in
through some hole in the shanty, and watch my movements.
Several times a great bird flew over which I was unacquainted
with. I learned afterwards that it was a raven. They are
very much like crows, only larger, and with a voice somewhat
different from that of the crow. In order to get along com-
fortably I had to talk to myself a great deal. On the last
dav of my stav, J. P. Hutchins left in my charjje certain tasks
to be performed. For one thing, having caught ten muskrats,
he wanted me to put the skins on stretchers. Then John
Hutchins the elder, in the dawn of the morning, when you
could hardly distinguish one thing from another, shot an ani-
mal which proved to be a skunk. It was a large one, covered
with fat ; and they left it in my charge to get the fat off and
try it out for domestic purposes. We had been troubled for
the want of light, and on killing the skunk it occurred to
them that it was a fine opportunity to get some oil for our
lamps. I commenced my day's work by washing up th«

200

NARRATIVES.

^'i

dishes. By ' dishes ' I do not mean such as are found at crock-
ery stores. We had just got our tin plates. (Previously we
had eaten off cedar shingles, with wooden spoons.) Then I
mended my pantaloons, which had sustained a damage one
night before, while I was lying near the fire in one of the
Canton-flannel bags that Mr. Newhouse recommended. Just
as I was going to sleep I felt something biting or stinging my
legs, and, on looking, found that I was on fire. With some
diflBculty we put it out, after a large hole was burned in the
bag, and two small ones in my pantaloons. So, as I said, I
proceeded to patch these holes. After that I took hold of the
business of making a bag of my blanket. I like the idea of a
bag to sleep in, but it ought not to be made of cotton. Mr.
Pitt hung up his overalls one night before the fire to dry, and
when he got up the next morning only a few little pieces and
the buttons were left. We found that cotton clothing about a
camp-fire is too liable to get burned up. So I took my woolen
blanket and sewed it up into a regular sack, which I liked
very much. After that I went through the work of put-
ting the muskrat-skins on the stretchers. Then I went and
got the fat off the skunk, and tried it out in one of our
spiders or sauce-pans, and made a little tin tunnel and put tiie
oil into a bottle. Then I put the sauce-pan into the fire and
heated it red-hot, to take out the odor of the skunk. That
was my last work. By this tim ^ it was pretty well along in
the afternoon. I sat down and began to study.

" It was evident from the failing health of John Hutchins,
on whom we had relied as the captain of the expedition, but
whose advanced age and former hardships in the army and
the woods, by flood and field, now told on him, and from the
comparative scarcity of game both for food and fur in the dis-
trict where we were, that the trapping part of the enterprise
would not be made to pay. We had liad the advantage of a
month's " roughing it " in the woods, and had established
communication with frontiermen on their own ground ; and it
appeared clear that our true course now was to get out of tiie
woods and fall back upon the second object of the expedition,
namely, the buying of furs. I accordingly advised a retreat

EXPEDITION TO THE LAURENTIAN HILLS. 201

of the party towards the settlements on the Hastings Road,
and the next day left myself for the * States.' "

so
n

Hie
lat

THE RETREAT.

Two days were spent in repacking our baggage, trans})orting
it across Salmon Lake, and down through Gull Lake to the foot
of the latter, and then we were ready to return to McKillican's.
We had discovered a new route to Salmon Lake, one by
which a greater part of the labor and trouble of the Bass Lake
passage might have been avoided. Four miles from our shanty,
at the foot of Gull Lake, were CannifF's Mills ; and from thence
a tolerable' road connected with the Hastino-s Road five miles
below McKillican's. We had been unable to learn anv thing
satisfactory about this route till after we had got to the lake.
Our provisions and baggage had been brought round to Can-
niif's by wagon. They were to go back by the same con-
veyance. Our baggage being all safely stored in Canniff 's
mill, we packed our shoulder baskets, shouldered our rifles,
and started on a seven-mile tramp througii the woods to Mc-
Killican's. On arriving at the Hastings Road, we at once be-
gan to organize for the fur-buying campaign. Mr. Noyes had
gone home. Mr. Hutchins and John P. left soon after for the
same destination. Messrs. Campbell and Pitt remained to buy
furs. They were soon after joined by Mr. Newhouse, and
two months were spent very pleasantly tramping over the
rough roads and through the snows. Of this kind of travel
the writer performed about four hundred miles. We formed
an extensive and pleasant acquaintance with all the leading
trappers of the region, who are a class of interesting men.
We bought nearly a thousand dollars' worth of furs, the pro-
fits on which were not quite sufficient ti> cover the expenses
of the whole campaign. We returned to our Oneida home
the last week in December, hearty and strong. In its health-
producing results the expedition had paid many fold for all it
had otherwise cost. In looking back upon it, in view of all
its benefits in this respect, the physical and spiritual heroism
which it developed, three of our number at least — the in-
ventor, the ex-financier and the ex-editor — will always re»

■20-2

NARUATIVES.

member it with thankfuliioss. I will conclude my liistory of
the expedition with a dissertation by J. H. N. on the .:

" MIRAOKS OF THE SPORTING WORLD.

" The visions of far-off cities, j)alaces, gardens, fountains, and
lakes that beguile the tired and thirsty ])ilgrini8 of the desert
are probably but tame and rare illusions compared with those
that lure hunters, fishermen, and trappers, or the myriads of
men and boys all over the world that would be sue!'., on and
on, year after year, in the pursuit of boundless successes that
are always looming in the distance, but are never reached.
For one, I confess that ever since I was ten years old I have
been seeking from time to time, in all directions and by many
wearisome excursions, for that paradise of sportsmen where
one can bag the nicest game in any quantities " as fast as he
can load and fire," or where he can catch bass or trout of any
desirable size " as fast as he can ])ut in his hook ;" but I have
never found it! The exact s|)<)t has been pointed out again
and again by very credible nfbrmants ; but always, when I
have reached it, there has been some mistake about it. Either
I had come a few days too soon, or a few days too late ; or
the desired region was a few miles further on, or off to the
right or left, or even back of where I started ; or somebody
had got in before me, and had just disappeared with the load
of luck that I expected ; or the weather was wrong ; or the
time of day was wrong ; or I had not the right kind of tools
and tackle. Thus in one way or another, as a sportsman, I
have never got much beyond moderate luck, with hard work
and hard fare ; and I have come to the conclusion that the
sporting world is full of mirages, that ought to be exposed and
expounded for the benefit of rising generations.

" I do not believe that my indifferent success is owing alto-
gether to individual bad luck or bad management, but that it
is an average sample of general experience. I hear the same
Btory from multitudes of amateurs (told of course in their
lucid intervals), and even from old Nimrods. John P. Hutch-
ins said that he " never got through a trapping campaign
witl;iout wondering at himself that he shoidd be such a, fool a*

EXPEDITION TO THE LAUKENTIAN IHLLS. 203

to leave a gotxl home and a civilized btiainess to plunge him-
self into a purgatory of unspeakable hardships for small profits
and little sport." And even his father, tough as he is in
muscle and story-telling, said nearly the same thing.

" The illusions that cover the sporting world come mostly
from the inveterate bragging and exaggerations of sportsmen
themselves. The old hunter tells all he can, and more than
he can truthfully, of his exploits ; and says as little as possible
of his failures, and the miseries which his successes cost him.
Thus the mirage rises, and they who are deceived by it, in
their turn, learn to brag of their ex|)loits and conceal their
failures ; and so the deception passes on from man to man,
and from generation to generation.

" I mean to step out of this practice, and tell some things
about our Canada expedition that will tend to sober the ex-
pectations of novices, and put them on their guard against
inflated reports and promises of sport.

"We went to Canada in full expectation of being able to
get plenty of venison and fish for our winter supplies. When
we came away, all hopes of getting these provisions had van-
ished, and we had found it necessary to borrow meat of our
neighbors, the lumberers, and were about to send to Montreal
for a barrel of mess-pork !

" Our illusions vanished one after another in this fashion.
We were told that at Bass Lake we could catch fine, large
bass in any quantities, either by drop-line or trolling. We
fished patiently with drop-lines at various times for hours to-
gether, and got one nibble ! We trolled the lake up and down
with two boats, and caught one bass of perhaps a pound
weight !

" We were told that at Salmon Lake, during a week or ten
days after the 8th of October, we siiould find myriads of sal-
mon-trout on their spawning beds every evening, and could
spear boat-loads of them and salt them down for winter use.
We had prepared two excellent spears and a jack ; and we
worked hard to gather "fat pine ; " and we laid in a store of
Bait. But we had no success in finding fish, except on one
night, and then only in moderate numbers. All we caught

204

NARKATiVES.

Of.

were ten trout, averaging perlmps two pounds apiece, and one
fine one of over twelve pounds. We had no occasion to salt
them, as five of us easily disposed of them otherwise in the
course of a week.

" We were told that we could kill all the deer that we should
want for the winter. The understanding was that, just before
freezing time, we should lay in our stock. I asked how many
deer would probably be a fair supply for the party. The an-
swer was, ' About twenty.' Sucii were our expectations.
The reality was this : Our party had tiie oj)portunity of see-
ing at a distanci' the chase and killing of two deer in Bass
Lake, by resident hunters. These were all the deer that were
taken in Bass Lake or in Salmon Lake within our sight and
hearing, or within our knowledge by rumor, during the whole
of our twenty days on the hunting grounds. The dogs were
baying frequently, and hunters did their best, but no more
deer were taken. We had not the slightest chance of killing
any in the usual way by running them into the lakes, as our
dog was only a puppy that was more likely to lose himself
than to find deer. As to the chance of getting venison by the
' still hunt,' that is by shooting deer in the woods, there was
little encouragement, as our party only saw one on land
during all our journeyings.

"*But how about bears? You didn't kill any, of course, but
did you see or hear of any"? Well, I will tell you all about
bears. We expected to have something to do with them, and
provided ourselves with a couple of Newhouse's famous bear-
traps ; but we did not set them, and of course did not catch
any. We saw scratches on a stump, which Mr. Hutchins pro-
nounced to be the work of a bear's claws made for sport, as a
cat airs her hooks sometimes by scratching. One night, when
we were camping out, Mr. Pitt heard a terrible noise that he
thought bad enough to be a bear's growl ; but it proved to be
the complaint of an owl. And, ut conclude, we had a view
— in fact, rather too near a view — of a grisly skeleton of a
bear, lying by the side of the path leading from our Crusoe
shanty to the lake, — a relic left us by some previous hunter
and the ravens. That was the nearest we came to seeing a
bear.

EXPEDITION TO THE LAURKXTIAN HILLS. 205

" ' To cut tlie matter short, What did you shoot' ? I killed a
partridge and a pigeon. Mr. Pitt killed several red squirrels
{which, cooked with some dried beef for want of salt, made
an excellent stew). John P. killed some squirrels and a par-
tridge. Mr. Hutchins killed a skunk. Besides these, we hit
several paper marks, and some we did not hit. This is a
true account of our hunting and fishing down to the time of
our ♦ change of base ' and my departure for the States.

" A tender conscience and compassion for the inexperienced
prompts these confessions. Of course the veterans can do bet-
ter. They hav^ had their say, and will get more credit than
we greenhorns any way. All ears are open to them. As a
counterpoise to their exciting stones, we feel bound to leave it
as our last word to amateur hunters and trappers, that they
should not set their hearts on external success and pleasure,
but rather on the benefits to be derived from hard discipline.
In that case, we can assure them that they will not be disap-
pointed."

It
l(

If'

DESCltlPTIOX OF THE NEvVHOUSE TRAP.

There are eight different sizes of the Ncwhouse Trap, adaptoij
to the capture of all kinds of animals, from the house rat to the
grizzly bear.

No.0.

The smallest size having but recently been introduc( tl into
the series, is designated as No. 0, and is called the Rat Trap.
It has a single spring, and the jaws spread, when set, three
inches and a half. It is designed for the house rat, but ia
Btrong enough to hold the muskrat.

No. 1.

No. 1 is called the Muskrat Trap. It has one spring, and
th«j jaws spread four inches. It is adapted to the capture of the
Diink, marten, and all the smaller fur-bearing animals.

No. 1:1.

No. lA (also recently introduced), is called the Mink Traf.
It has but one spring ; and the jaws spread four inches aiid
Beven-eighths. It is strong enough for the fox or fisher.

No. 2.

No. 2 is called the Fox Trap. It has two springs, and the
jows spread four inches and seven-eighths. It is strong enough

APPENDIX.

I ad

the

aiid

tbe

for tho fislior or even tlio otter. Trappers somcf imcs have or-
dered this size with single instead of doiihlo .spriii;;^. No. 1 \ i8
intended to meet suclj deinunda.

No 3.

No. 3 is called tho Otteu Thai*. The jaws spread five inchoa
and u half. It will hold any of tho mcdium-sizod animals, such
U8 the beaver, tho badger, tho raccoon, tho opossum and the
wild-cat.

No. 4.

No. 4 is called the Beaver Trap. The jawa spread six
inches and a half. It is adapted to tho wolf or tho lynx. —
Extra sots of jaws with teeth constructed expressly for taking
deer, are made to fit this trap, and can be had separately, or
may be inserted in tho place of the ordinary jaws.

No. 5 is called the Small Bear Trap. Tho jaws spread
eleven inches and three-fourths. Tho weight of each spring
is two pounds and ten ounces, and the weight of the whole
trap is seventeen pounds. It is adapted to the common black
bear, the panther, and most of the large animals found this
side of the Rocky Mountains.

All these traps are furnished with swivels, and if desiredj
with chains.

r I

V't

BRIEF LIST OF BOOKS

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318 BROADWAY, NEW YORK,

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ft':"'-

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Canada. Illustrated by Beard. Cloth. I'rice, #3.50.

Adirondack Tales. By w. II. ll. Mirray. These

stories are full of the subtile charms of Mr. Murray's indi-
viduality. Illustratet!. Cloth, 300 pages. Price !j!i. 25.

Adventures in tlu^ Wilderness; Or, Cami- Like in
the Adirondacks. By W. II. H. Mirray. This work
is very picturesque and amusing. Illustrated. Cloth. Price,
I1.25.

Wing and Glass Ball Shooting; With the Rifle.

By H. C. Bliss. This is an invaluable work for the young
sportsman who aims at making a record as a marksman.
Price, 50 cents.

Names and Portraits of Birds. By Girdon Trum-
liui.i,. Mr. Trumbull's new book on game birds is written
on a plan which is entirely different from that of any book
on birds hitherto published. 90 illustrations. Cloth, 222
pages. Price, $2.50.

Wild Fowl Shooting:. By Leffixgweli,. Mr. LefT-
ingwell has gained by life-long devotion to the sport of
wild fowl shooting a knowledge of the ways of the game,
the modes of securing it, and the thousand and one details
which go to make up the pursuit of fowling. Illustrated*
Cloth, 373 pages. Price, ^2.50. Half moroccO; $3.50.

Pawnee Hero Stories and Folk-Tales; With

NoTKS ON TlIK ORKIIN, t'HARA< TKR AND ClSTOMS OK
TIIK I'AWNKK rF.OI'I.K. Hv CIKORCK HIRI) (iRlNNKl.l.,

This is a most charming collection of stories as told by the
Indians; tales of love, war, hunting, adventure and mystery.
The book presents the Indian in an entirely new, because
true, light; it gives a faithful portraiture of him as a man,
and pictures, as no other book has ever done, the Indian as
he actually is, in his lodge, on the warpath and cm the
hunt. The stories were taken down just as they were told,
and are given without dressing up. They will surprise and
please the reader by the wit, sentiment and human nature
displayed in them. Illustrated. Trice, $1.75.

liOg Cabins; llow to Ui-ild and Furnish Them. By
William S. Wicks. The book is thoroughly practical.
Every step in the process of construction is explained.
Plans are given for cabins, large and small, with details of
exterior and interior finish; and there are also some very
useful directions for constructing temporary shelters — the
Indian camp, brush camp, Indian wigwam, brush house
and bark camp. The furnishing consists of tables, chairs,
bedsteads and other articles, all made of the material at
hand, and all in keeping with the style of the house. The
illustrations are numerous. Price, $1.50.

Shore Dirds. A pamphlet for those who "gun" along the
shore. Tells of — I. Haunts and Habits. II. Range and
Migration. III. A morning without the Birds. IV. Nom-
enclature. V. Localities. VT. Blinds and decoys. Paper.
Price, 15 cents.

Some Native Birdiii for Little Folks. By Dr. w.

Van Fleet. Illustrated by Howard H. Darnell.
Cloth, 146 pages, fourteen photogravure plates. Price,
$3.00.

Complete American Trapper Tricks of Trap-
ping and Trap making. By W. II. Gibson. Il-
lustrated. Cloth. Price, $i.(X}.

IMAGE EVALUATION
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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. M580

(716) B/J-'i.'iOa

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Trf^jectories of Hunting Rifles. A fu'.l report of the

Forest and Stream Trajectory Test. This was the most
elaborate and careful trial of the trajectories of hunting
rifles ever undertaken, and the results embody a vast fund
of practical information about the principles of rifle shoot-
ing. Paper. Illustrated. Price, 50 cents.

Gunsmiths* Manual. A complete handbook for the
American gunsmith, being a practical guide to all branches
of the trade. Numerous engravings. Cloth. Price, $2.00.

The Modern American Fisto! and Revolver

and how to use it. Illiisrrr.ted, Cloth. Price, $1.50.

Practical Taxidermy and Home Decoration.

By Batty. Containing chapters on the care of guns, col-
lecting and preparing and mounting skins of animals, birds
and fish, etc. Cloth, 204 pages. Price, $1.50.

A MAGNIFICENT WORK.

With Fly-Rofi and Camera.

BY ,

EDWARD A. SAMUELS.

In size, wealth of illustrations and richness of preparation, this volume is
the most elaborate and beautiful book on angling ever issued from the Amer-
ican press. The author, Edward A. Samuels, President of the Massachu-
setts Fish and Game Protective Association, is known as a devoted salmon
fisherman and skilled amateur photographer. He has spent several years in
collecting the material for this book; the chapters relate the personal ex-
periences of himself and his friends on the salmon rivers of Canada and the
trout lakes of New England. The 150 full-page illustrations are direct re-
productions of photographs made by Mr. Samuels; they give faithful and
spirited presentations of scenery, angling incident, camp life and sportsman
travel. No expense has been spared to make the work an art volume of the
highest character. 480 pages, 150 plates. Price $5.00.

FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING COMPANY,
318 BROADWAY, NEW YORK.

With Fly-Rod and Camera. By EinvARD A. Samuels.
President of the Massachusetts Fish and Oame Protective
Association, Author of the "Ornithology and OOlogy of
New Englandand Adjacent Statesand Provinces." "Among
the Birds," Associate Editor of " The Living World," etc.,
etc. Cloth, 4S0 pages. TXg^in., 147 iHus/'-ations,' Price!
$5-oo. The author is known as one of the most devoted
and expert salmon fishermen of America. For more than a
quarter century he has made annual excursions to the
famous salmon rivers of Canada, and the trout lakes of xNew
England. To his experience as a salmon angler he adds
exceptional skill as an amateur photographer, having for
many seasons taken his photographic outfit with him into
the woods, with special reference to the preparation of this
work. It is as an art volume that "With Fly-Rocl and
Camera " merits special distinction The illustrations com-
prise 147 full-page plates, which are direct reproductions
by a half-tone process, of Mr. Samuels's photographs. In
the number and quality of its illustrations, " With Fly.Rod
and Camera" is the most elaborate book on angling ever
issued from the American press. The subjects include
views of the picturesque scenery of Canada, the famous sal-
mon rivers and pools, incidents of travel and camp life,
portraits of fish, and numerous instantaneous pictures of
actual fishing, among them being, " Time for the Landing
Net," --Lady Macdonald Casting the Fly," "Casting from
a Canoe," "A Long Cast," " Landing a Salmon," " Play,
ing a Winninish on Lake St. John, etc. The' views of
scenery include the Saguenay, Nepisiguit, Matapedia, Res-
tigouche, Cascapedia, Margaree, Jacquet, Jeanot and kleta-
betchouan rivers; famous falls, rapids and pools; fishing
cottages and camps; fishing parties and groups of guides-
running the rapids in canoes, portaging; and in short all
the various phases of the life and surroundings which make
up the charm and delight and choice memories of an
angler's outing. The volume is likewise noteworthy as an
example of the rare possiuilities of amateur photography.

I^;,:'

) I

Blackfoot liOrtge-Tales; Thk Siory ok a Prairie-
Peoi'LE. By George Bird Grinnell, author of "Paw-
nee Hero Stories and Folk-Tales." Cloth, 310 pages.
Price, $1.75. Mr. Grinnell's collection of Blackfoot stories
is one of extraordinary interest to all readers. It tells of a
race of people whose life was out of doors, who depended
for their living on the chase, whose study was the wild ani-
mals which furnished them subsistence, and the wild tribes
which surrounded them. These stories, taken down from
the lips of the old men and the brave warriors, are fascin-
ating in their honesty of narration, in the scenes of horror
which they sometimes conjure up, the weird poetic turn they
often take, and cheerful matter-of-fact way in which some
incredible piece of bravery is disposed of. While the first
half of the book is devoted to stories current among the
people, the second is given up to a discussion of their
habits, customs and ways of life. It presents a series of
graphic pictures of savage life in peace and war, and
throws a flash of light on the ways of the tribe to-day,
and on ancient customs which have now passed out of
existence.

House and Pet Dogs; Their Selection, Care ani>
Tr.mning. The purpose of the book is to supply hints and
instruction concerning the management of house and pet
dogs. What is here written is all the fruit of practical and
extended experience with these classes of dogs. Several of
the chapters have been written by a feminine pen, and will
be especially valued by ladies. Price 50 cts.

Tlie Fox-Terrier.. History and Description, with Remi-
niscences. By R. B. Lee, Kennel Editor London Field.
New and enlarged edition. Fifteen portraits and illustra-
tions; 180 pages. The book is very pleasantly written and
contains a vast amount of useful information regarding the
history and characteristics of the breed, useful not only to
the new beginner but to the most experienced fancier as
well. Price $1.50.

Game Laws in Brief. United Statks and Canada.
(iives the sections relative, to game and fish i^easons. limit of
size or number, non-residents, transportation, etc. All in
brief, but full enough for ihe practical guidance o[^^nsn^^\^
and anglers. Carefully compiled, and shorn of verbia-re bv
CHA.s. 15. Kkvnolds of Forest and Sfrca,,. A standard
work of reference. I landsomely illustrated. Price 25 cts.

Field, Cover and Trap-Sliooting. ByCAPTAoAM

H. BoGARiu-s, Champion Wing Shot of the World. Fm-
bracing hints for skilled marksmen; instructions for young
sportsmen; haunts and habits of game birds; flight and re-
sorts of water fowl; oreeding and breaking of dogs. With
anappendi.x. Cloth, 493 pages. Price $2. We take pleas-
ure m announcing that <ve have secured the rights of pub-
lication of this famous work. It is a book by a ma.ster. The
name of Hogardus is .synonymous with skill in shooting His
place has been at the head of .skilled handlers of the gun
" Field, Cover and Trap-Shooting" is a book of instruction
and of that best of all instruction where the teacher draws
from his own rich experience incident, anecdote and moral
to illustrate and emphasize his teaching.

The Spaniel and Its Training. By f. H. F. Mercer
To which are added the American and English Spaniel
Standards. Here is a man who trained his dogs; learned by
e.xpenence how to do it; and now has put down that ex-
perience for the benefit of others. Price $1.

Fly-Fishingr and Fly-Making for Trout, Etc

By J. Harrinc:ton Kkene. With plates of the actual
material for making flies of every variety. Illustrated.
Cloth, 113 pages. Price $1.50.

The Collie. By Kawdon B. Lee. Illustrated. A handsome
and well written book. Price $1.50.

A Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing. By Dixon
Kkmp, Associate Institute of Naval Architects, author of
"Yacht Designing" and "Yacht Architecture." Cloth.
Illustrated. Price, $12. This edition has been largely re-
written, and contains a great number of new subjects, and
the lines of many boats never before published, the total
number of plates exceeding one hundred, besides more than
three hundred and fifty woodcuts in the text. Contents:
Chap. I. Selecting a Yacht. II. Examination of the Yacht.
III. Building a Yacht. IV. The Equipment of the Yacht.
V, Seamanship. VI. The Management of Open Boats.
VII. The General Management of a Yacht. VIII. The
Rules of the Yacht Racing Association. IX. Yacht Rac-
ing; Handling a Yacht in a Match. X, Centerboard Boats.
XI. Centerboard Boats for Rowing and Sailing. XII. Sails
for Centerboard Boats. XIII. -Small Centerboard Yachts.
XIV. Mersey Sailing Boats. XV. Clyde Sailing Boats.
XVI. Belfast Lough Boats. XVII. Dublin Bay, Kings-
town Boats. XVIII. Cork Harbor Boats. XIX. Itchen
Boats. XX. Falmouth Quay I'unts. XXI. Thames Baw-
ley Boats. XXII. Lake Windemere Yachts. XXIII.
Yachts of the Norfolk Broads. XXIV. Small Yachts and
Boats of Y. R. A. Rating. XXV. Single-handed Cruisers.
XXVI. Types of Sailing Vessels. XXVII. Double Boats.
XXVIII. Steam Yachting. XXIX. Ice Yachting. XXX.
Canoeing. XXXI. Amateur Canoe Building (in America).
Appendix contains complete instructions as to practical
boat building. This section is arranged alphabetically in
the form of a dictionary, and embodies a variety of inform-
ation connected with yachts, boats, the customs of the sea,
laws relating to seamen, nautical terms, and in fact every-
thing which might be expected in a nautical cyclopaedia.
Full instruction is given as to the building and manage^
ment of every boat described.

. I

Yacht Architecture. By Dixon Kemp, Associate of
the Institute of Naval Architects and Member of the
Council. Illustrated. Cloth. Price, $i6.So. This work
enters into the whole subject of the laws which govern the
resistance of bodies moving in water, and the influence a
wave form of body and wave lines have upon such resist-
ance. It also deals comprehensively with the subject of
steam propulsion as applied to yachts. An easy system
for designing is provided, and every necessary calculation
i explained in detail. The latter part of the work is de-
voted to yacht building, and engravings are given of every
detail of construction and fitting, including laying off,
taking bevels, etc. The list of plates (exclusive of over
thirty devoted to the elucidation of the text, and nearly two
hundred woodcuts) exceeds fifty, and comprise tfie lines of
some of the most celebrated yachts afloat by the most suc-
cessful builders anil designers. "One great merit in the
second edition of Mr. Kemp's 'Vacht Architecture' is that
it is in every part written ip to time. The chapter on
stability is in every respect highly satisfactory, technical
enough to satisfy the specialist, and yet plain enough to
inform the man of ordinary inte'ligence. So also in regard
to centerboards. When the fi.st edition was published,
few English yachtsmen knew (;r cared as to what was meant
by the term; but the racing for the America Cup, and
especially the running of the Thistle with the Volunteer in
the autumn of 1887, has created quite a new interest in
centerboards, and the subject is discussed in this edition in
a manner at once simple and lucid. The chapters devoted
to steam yachts are among the most satisfactory in the
book."— Z>rt//v Graphic, April 29, 1891. "Mr. Dixon
Kemp's volume supplies yachtsmen with every possible in-
formation in a plain, practical manner, and, furthermore, to
the more experienced theorist, it will be found of almost
constant use for reference in both theoretical and practical
knowledge." — Irish Times, April 2%, 1891.

iii

Aiuericnii Big-Gtime Hunting. The Book of the
Boone and Crockett Club. Editors, TUKdUORK RoosK-
VEi,T and GeoR(;k Bird CiRiNMUJ.. Contents: A Buffalo
Story, by Capt. George 8. Anderson; The White Goat
and his Country, by Owen Wister; A Day with the Elk, by
AVinthrop Chanler; Old Times in the Black Hills, by Cwl.
Roger I). Williams; ]5ig Game in the Rockies, by Archibald
Rogers; Coursing the Prongbuck, by Theodore Roosevelt;
After Wapiti in Wyoming, by V. C. Crocker; In Buffalo
Days, by Geo. Bird Grinnell; Nights with the Grizzlies, by
W'. D. Pickett; The Yellowstone Park as a Game Preserve,
by Arnold Mague; A Mountain Fraud, by Dean Sage;
Blacktails in the Bad Lands, by B. Rumsey; Photographr
ing Big Game, by W. B. Devereux; Literature of American
Big-Game Hunting; Our Forest Reservations. Illustrated.
Cloth, 345 pages. Price $2.50.

f'l

tit

!)'

The Complete Sportsman. A Manual of Scientific
and Practical Knowledge Designed for the Instruction and
Information of all Votaries of the Gun. By Howi.and
Gasi'kr. In this volume the author aims to show how the
sportsman may appropriately equip himself for hunting,
attain proficiency in the art of shooting, and enter the
field informed of the habits of game and the most ap-
proved methods of hunting. His volume is divided into
five parts, which treat respectively of the gun, dogs, wild-
fowl shooting, upland and cover shooting, and the intro-
duction of foreign game. Illustrated: Cloth, £77 pages.
Price $2.00.

Modern Dogs (Sporting Division) of Grkat Britain
AND Irki.ani). By Rawdon B. Lke, Kennel Editor of
the Field. This is the latest and most complete volume on
sporting dogs. Mr. Lee, who is perhaps the highest Eng-
lish authority on these subjects, has endeavored in this work
to describe the varieties and summarizes the progress of
the dog as at present known in the British Isles. The 2()
chapters treat of the blood hound, fox hound, stag hound,

harrier, beagle, otter hound, deer hound, greyhound, whip-
pet, great Dane, Irish wolf hound, borzoi, or Russian wolf-
hound, pointer, setter, English setter, Gordon setter, Irish
setter, retriever, spaniel, Irish water spaniel, English spaniel.
Clumber spaniel, Sussex spaniel, black field spaniel, Norfolk
spaniel, spaniels other than black, cocker, basset hound
and dachshund. Almost ail these breeds are separately
illustrated by heliotype engravings, and it is really an
education merely to look at the pictures in the volume.
Cloth. 26 full page illustrations. 584 pages. ]'rice$6.oo,

Tlu' Leapiiijr Oiiuiiaiiiclie, What It Is, Whkn,
Whkrk AM) How TO Catch It. By Euge.ne Mc-
Carthy, The Ouananiche is rapidly coming into promi-
nence, and is attracting the attention of anglers everywhere.
Little has ever been published concerning where, when and
how to catch this gamiest of all game fish; and to answer
the questions constantly being asked on all sides regarding
it, this work has been published. .Seven years' experience
in catching and studying the Ouananiche has thoroughly
fitted the author to speak with authority on his subject, and
the work is a valuable one. The book contains a large
number of half-tone cuts from photographs taken by the
author, and a correct portrait of the fish itself. A line map
of the St. Johns country, also made by the writer, is given.
This work will be a recognized authority, and should be in
the library of every angler. Paper, 66 pages. Price 50 cents.

The Trapper's Ouide. By S. C. Newhoitsk. This is
the best book on trapping ever written. It gives full
descriptions of all the animals which the American trapper

' is likely to meet with, tells how they live, how to trap them
and how to care for and cure their pelts. No man who is
interested in trapping wild animals, whether it be muskrats
or bears, should be without this complete manual of in-
struction. Fully illustrated by engravings of most of the
fur bearing and game animals of North America. New
edition. Sent postpaid on receipt of $1.00.

A WEEKLY JOURNAL

Tlie Fonst luui Stiniiit believes in the recreation to be found
in tlie haunts of deer and fj^rouse, and trout and bass. It l)e-
iieves in tlie common sense that calls a halt in business drive
and professional f^rind, for a holiday with jiun, rod and paddle —
if only afterward to drive the faster and grind the harder. It
is a journal for those who love the country and life out of doors.
It reflects the spirit and records the experiences of the great
army of outers. If you have any sympathy with these things, the
Forest and Stream is just the paper you would like to have come
into your home every week. The departments are:

Sportsman Tourist,
Natural History,
Game Bag and Gun,
Sea and River Fishing.

The Kennel,
Yachting,
Canoeing,
Rifle and Trap.

Its pages contain sketches of travel, adventure and observa-
tion at home and abroad, accounts of experience on shooting
and fishing excursions, sketches of frontier life, Indian folk lore
stories, illustrated articles on American wild animals, papers on
the domestication of game, the care and training of dogs, and
in short an inexhaustible store of entertaining, wholesome and
instructive literature. Send lo cents for specimen copy. Price,
$4,00 per year.

FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO.,
318 Broadway, New York,

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