The chase in the United States is, moreover, rapidly on the decline; for the American hunter spares nothing, and for some time, particularly since the day when skins were first paid for in hard dollars, a war of extermination has been waged against the poor stags and bears;—so that the hunter who, some five years hence, shall visit these realms, will scarcely find his expectations of sport realized, unless he is prepared either to content himself with small game, or to penetrate to the Rocky Mountains, and explore the territory of the Indians.
With the concluding request to my readers, to remember that these pages are penned by a man who, so to speak, has but just emerged from the forest, and who relates his experiences to his friends at home, not caring for the fact that he might, perhaps, by adopting a different method, have told his story with more effect, this diary is submitted to the kind consideration of the public, by
The Author.
CONTENTS.
| [CHAPTER I.] FROM BREMEN TO NEW YORK. | |
|---|---|
| The Bremen Lighter—A Parting Jollification—The good Ship“Constitution”—The Steerage—The Last of Germany—Sea-sickness—Lifeon Board—The Channel—Sea Sights—A Shark—AWreck—Bathing at Sea—Dancing on Board—StormyWeather—The Coast of Newfoundland—Festivities on the 4thof July—Shark and Pilot-Fish—Mother Carey’s Chickens—Landho!—Staten Island—Our Destination | [pp. 1—30] |
| [CHAPTER II.] NEW YORK TO BUFFALO. | |
| Car-drivers—An Irish Funeral—German Boarding-House—A Pulpitin a State of Siege—Negroes at New York—Shooting Excursionnear New York—Railway to Utica—American Canal Boat—MyFat Fellow-passenger—Pennsylvanian smith—Hamilton—WildDuck-shooting—An Indian Hunter—Night in the Woods—AYankee Cattle-dealer—Buffalo Politicians | [31—60] |
| [CHAPTER III.] OHIO—INDIANA—ILLINOIS—MISSOURI. | |
| Wet and Weary—Out in the Woods—The Forest Mill—A Raccoon—APleasant Travelling Companion—My Israelite Fellow-lodgers—Fordingthe Wabash—A Wet Road—Buck-shooting—Illinoisand its Climate—I set off for New Orleans—LeadMines in Missouri | [61—82] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] ARKANSAS, AND “DOWN RIVER” TO NEW ORLEANS. | |
| The Eagle—An Old Settler—My unsuccessful Hunting Dog—ThePolish Refugee’s Habitation—An Unnecessary Circuit—IndianTribe—Little Rock in Arkansas—My Engagement onboard the “Fox”—Quarrel with the Captain—An uncomfortableNight—Treatment of Slaves—A Woodland Supper—APanther—Bear-shooting—Life among the Indians—An IndianShooting Party—Wolf Traps—Narrow Escape for my Canoe—BySteamer to New Orleans | [83—116] |
| [CHAPTER V.] CINCINNATI—A FARMER’S LIFE IN THE WOODS. | |
| A Runaway Couple—Cincinnati and its Religious Sects—The Girl“possessed with a Devil”—I start afresh for the Woods—BadSport and bad Weather—Crawfish—Blackfish Lake—A Picnicin the Woods—Mule Drivers from Texas—Strong’s Plantation—ASwimming-race with the dogs—Saint Woodland’sFarm—Bee-hunting—Wild Honey—Searching for Horses—Dancingfor a Dinner—Backwoods Building—Ague—My MethodistFriend—Duck-shooting—Snakes in the Swamps—OurFarming Arrangements | [117—149] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] A FARMER’S LIFE IN THE WOODS (continued). | |
| A Wolf—We shift our Quarters—False Alarm—Squirrel forBreakfast—Primitive Mode of Winnowing Corn—“OiltroveBottom”—Pawpaw Trees—“Not at home”—Hard Fare—APanther—Visit to Hilger—A Great Political Discussion—ClearingLand for Fields—Ague—Prompt Burial in the Swamps—ABackwoods Family—Swindlers in Arkansas—White Riverand its Neighborhood—Magnus, the Great Buffalo Hunter—APatient with the Ague—Swamps—Hunting with an unloadedGun—Death of the Bear | [150—181] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] WOODLAND SPORTS—CANE-BRAKES—MY EXAMINATIONBY THE SCHOOL COMMISSION. | |
| Turkey-shooting with Dogs—Forest Travel—Scarcity of Provisions—OvercupOak—Buck-hunting—Buffalo-hunting—Returnto the Haunts of Men—Bear-hunting with dogs—The FallingTree—“Shocking bad Dreams”—Ladies in the Forest—UnemployedHands in Cincinnati—Card-playing in the Cane-brake—GermanSettlers down South—The Great School Examination—Speculationin Canes | [182-209] |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] FARMING AT FOURCHE LE FAVE—A BACKWOODS “FROLIC”—RESIDENCEAT KELFER’S FARM—SCHOOLS—HUNTINGEXCURSION. | |
| Partnership with Rutkin—Removing Goods by Canoe—ScaldingPigs “Arkansas Fashion”—Shooting Deer by Night—Disagreementwith Rutkin—A Backwoods “Frolic”—Relays ofFiddlers—Chasing a Wolf with a Canoe—Another ShootingExcursion—The Sessions in the Backwoods—An inconvenientCourt-house—Departure from Kelfer’s Farm—Road-making inthe Backwoods—Visit to Bahrens—Habitual Reserve of theAmericans—Mechanical Ingenuity of Backwoodsmen—An IndianAdventure—Raccoon-shooting—Bee-hunting in the Backwoods—Duck-shooting—Curlythe Settler—A Prize—Curly’sMishap—An Unpleasant Nocturnal Visitor—Shooting a Panther—Returnto Slowtrap’s | [210—257] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] HUNTING ANECDOTES AND EXPERIENCES—CHRISTMAS—CONWELLAND HIS REMINISCENCES. | |
| Surprised by a Panther—A New Hunting Excursion—The Fox—“StoleAway”—The Two old Cattle-dealers—Bear-huntingExtraordinary—Deer-stalking by Night—Duck-shooting—Thunderstormsin Arkansas—Our Nocturnal Encampment—IndianMigration—A Bootless Chase—Lost in the Forest—Mr.Davis’s Farm—Conwell and his Family—Slowtrap’s Adventurewith the Cow—Terrace-hills—A Prize—A Sumptuous Breakfast—ATwo-year-old Bruin—A Comfortable Evening—IndianStratagem—Simplicity of the Backwoodsmen—Bivouac—Storyof the Moccasins—Almost surprised by a Panther—A NovelSleeping-room—Struggle with a Buck—Story of a Buffalo Hunt—Booksin Wet Weather—Manna in the Desert—MaraudingWolves—Bruin in his Nest—Honey-laden Home | [258—311] |
| [CHAPTER X.] A PERILOUS BEAR-HUNT—A DEBATING SOCIETY—PANTHERHUNT—DISASTROUS EVENTS—DEATH OF ERSKINE—DEPARTURE. | |
| Bears in their Winter Quarters—Bruin’s Cave—Our Adventure inthe Cave—Attack and Retreat—Pursued by a Wounded Bear—Victoryat last—Another Bruin in his Lair—Backwoods DebatingSociety—Knotty Points of Debate—A Panther in aCave—Watchfire and Wounds—Off again after Game—Huntingwith the Indians—Skeletons—Narrow Quarters—Wachiga—OurFatal Temerity—Erskine’s Death—A Terrible Night—APrimitive Operation—I decline taking a Farm—A Rencontre | [312—349] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] A FATAL BRAWL—RETURN TO LITTLE ROCK—SUMMARYJUSTICE—DOWN SOUTH. | |
| Whiskey and Bloodshed—Wounded and Alone—A Prize—Returnto Slowtrap’s—Little Rock—Deer-shooting at the “Salt Lick”—LogwoodTrees in Arkansas—Summary Judicial Proceedings—Callsfor attracting Deer—Indian Method of Dressing Skins—AMatrimonial Difficulty—Buck-shooting—Letters at LittleRock—Canoe Voyage down the Arkansas—Celebration of the4th of July | [350—373] |
| [CHAPTER XII.] LOUISIANA—NEW ORLEANS, AND HOME. | |
| Mosquitoes—Meeting with Kean—The Hotel at Point Coupée—Slavesand their Condition—Snipe-shooting—Vegetation ofLouisiana—Shooting Alligators by Torchlight—Their Antipathyto Dogs and Negroes—New Orleans—The “Olbers” forBremen—Mouth of the Mississippi—The Gulf of Mexico—Fever—TheLübecker and his Wife—The Channel—Quarantine | [374—396] |