The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-09

OUR CORRESPONDENT ON THE TRAIL.
ALBANY, Oct. q, 1856

Thus far had l returned from a hunting excursion
in the county of st. Lawrence, when Sunday over
took me As your paper is the great medium for all
kinds Of information, perhaps | cannot better en-
ploy leisure hour than in communicating some
facts which may be interesting to the disciples Of
Nimrod and Izsak Walton
Leaving New York in the Hudson River cars,
soon found myself at Rome, where left the western
railroad, and taking the Rome and Watertown rail
road, / was in the latter village in three hours.
WATERFOWL is called village, but it has the tnriv-
ing appearance Of city. II is a hourishing place
of some ten thousand inhabitants. Before the
Rome and watertown road was completed, their iso-
lated situation was o great obstacle to the rapid
settlement Of that part Of the State. A contract
has been made for the extension Of this road
to Canton, the shire town of st. Lawrence
county. While upon this subject, l must
beg leave to say that New Workers have
suffered themselves to be outgeneralsd by tho Bos-
tonians in the struggle for the trade Of the northern
part Of this State, and the vast and fertile region
beyond Rockville, in Upper Canada. The Ogdens-
burg and Rouse Point Road turns the trade which
might and ought to concentrate in New York along
the Vermont Central and Rutland roads to Boston.
The only obstacle to the monopoly of that trade by
Boston will be the Rome and WATERFOWL road, ii 1T
should ever be completed, to Ogdensburg. And
then the route will be very far from direct IL
will run southeast to Canton, thence southwest to
Watertown, and after sweeping west almost to Lake
Ontario, will bend southeast again to Rome and
Albany, and from there south to New York. II Is
any thing but direct line.. A road ought to nave
been made before now along the bed OF the Old
road which was made during the last war from Al
bany to Ogdensburg, diyerglng however, sufficient
" to make Brockville the terminus, instead of Og
densburg. Almost an air line road could be made,
which would have the double effect of bringing the
wild lands Of Hamilton, Herkimer, and ST. Law
counties with their vast forests Of lumber into
market, and Of opening 10 New York the uncalcua-
BILE resources of that fertile country which extends
for many leagues around Brockville.
But from pointing out the most practical route for
the hunter, have digressed to trade and commerce
1t was long and tiresome ride from WATERFOWL
to Gouverneur, and yet it was over plank road;
but somehow stage drivers fancy they cannot con-
vince you Of their Importance without making you
wait, with shivering forms and chattering teeth,
while they laugh and drink at every tavern upon
the waysde. At late hour we halted at Gouverneur
The next morning, having secured horse and buggy
of Fine For thirty miles we wound along the banks
| Of the Oswegatcbie, dark and turbulent streams
which rises in the county Of Herkimer and passing
through Cranberry lake, flows into the St. Law
border of that forest which extends from the settle
ments west Of Lake Champlain to the town Of Fine.
| Alighting at a small log house. just as the sun
Of the Of
and intelligent family There were but two rooms
on the first floor, yet everything bore the evidence
of the most scrupulous neaness. The chairs, floor,
door and window castings, fairly shone with white
ness. After supper went to see if our horse was
well cared for, and in cropping about, my hand rested
| upon something soft. 1t was the stuffed skin OF
panther eight feet long Hi, enormous head eod
huge arms were calculated to impress one with a
| fearful idea Of the vast power Of the animal
| Inquiries had frequently been made during the
morning why John had not returned. About nine
osr11 IL n1. 49, 4l,. tnn n,r,
hunter glided noiselessly into the The greet
ings were cordial but quiet. The new conner
one of the handsomest men ever saw, and 10 his
manner and bearing was the counterpart OF Hawk-
eye, Cooper's most celebrated character. In the
course of the evening ascertained that John Bos-
sout, the hunter, had slain during the week two
martins, one fisher and . wolf. The xt.day, the
10th Of October, the fell to the DEPTH of three
inches, but as it Sunday they did not attempt
to track the deer Straying my aef into the edge Of
the wood, saw, scarcely twenty rods dissant what
appeared, at first, the body of . panther; it was
only deer 1t was too much for my piety; bat
when / had returned from the house with my gun,
found the game had made too many tracks
Monday morning we started for the forest, and
traversing the cid road leading from Albany for ten
miles, We arrived at Gasby's shanty, on the upper
Oswgatchie, or inlet, as that part Of the stream is
called which flows into Cranberry lake. Unac-
custoned to such long tramIs, was not only very
much fatigued but most uncomfortably hungry.
My appetite was soon appeased, but my limbs
were obstinate)y stiff. Here our party separated,
John Bossout sndmy self entering canoe. proceeded
up the Oswgatchie A misty rain now began to
fall which required all the impervious qualities Of
my rubber to exclude. The Oawgatche is beau
tiful stream, narrow, but deep, and bordered on
either side by rich bottom covered with >,lders,
and blue.pont grass, which indicate the inexhaust-
able qualities OF the soil. John beguled the way
with anecdotes Of encounters with tho wild beasts
which inhabit that region. Several times be left
the canoe to look after his traps, while remained
endeavoring to keep warm. At last accompanied
him to one of them, and as we were threading the
path Of the wolves John arrested our steps and
quietly remarked, "there is a wolf-tbe tenth one
have caught this summer" He savage
looking monster, one Of the largest of the species
He neither complained nor exhibited anger, but
crouched sullenly to the earth The ancrrins rifle
soon lifeless The sharp teeth Of the trap we're
more powerful than his own.
As we returned to the we diverged from
the path. Here said John, sis the spot where
bear, last week, twisted the chain Of my trap around
these aders and wrencLed his foot away by bending
the jaws; and in that eump Of slders yonder,
found my largest panther. II was ia August. lie
dragged the trap from I'll. hill yonder. When no
saw ne coming up, you better b'ievo he groWled
IT fairly made my hair stand on end. He did'e
show fight, though, and finished him in hurry"
But, said i do you not fear that they will fol-
low en- your footsteps ami pounce upon you when
you least expect tbem'' '0h TO- game IS too plenty
for tbat-theres no danger Of their attacking
man"
Entering the canoe, we proceeded M the river five
miles without seeing anything worthy Of notice, thai
u.s. except the twisting and waving Of some bushes
as bear retreated irsm the edge Of the bank, whore
he had been gathering cherries. That night we
stopped in one of Bossouts log shanties. Our bed
was boughs spread upon the ground and with Gre
in front, we had q comfortable time. We had left
our meat with the other party, with the cxpecta-
tion Of obtaining supply on our way. ii was
bad day for partridges, and two Of us trampng
through the woods made much noise that we
alarmed the deer. Twice Bossout drew his rife Co
his sho ulder, but the game became suspicious and
VIZ elf1 A txy.lxn hall NrA Inh,
having built up fire on the bank, at the foot Of
glorious iall in the river, put his moccasns and
started in search Of game, which was absolutely
required threw myself blanket, aud for.
getting wolves, panthers, and bears, was soon fast
asleep. Being very much fatigued l slumbered
several hours, ard when awoke the sun had sunk
nearly to the horizon; still John had not returned,
and had the pleasing prospect Of passing the
ixlf nln lnnLIl.