The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-17

breezy elevations, opening up the bright land
| scape to the view Of the more cheerful and
| light-hearted and for the most social there is
a little village, communicating almost hourly
with the cities, i'll which to assemble tor amuse-
ments. Along the streams to which the springs
| give birth, including the river-the smallest
rlvulet as well as the larger tributaries which
have their origin III the horizon of mountains
around-the angler may ply his skill, and get
health and appetite for both the sport and its
| results.
| The railroad which has recently opened ND
the Valley, once almost inaccessible to travel.
ana to the burden trains that transport the
wealth OF the East and West to each other, with
Its steam whistle has driven the deer and bear
TO the Businesses of the mountains but the bird
shooter may indulge his vein in every copse
with pheasants, and IN some localities in shoot
ing ducks. More ambitious hunters encamp in
me mountain sOlitudes, aud try conclusions
with the bear and deer. Having during the
meats OF July and August trolled for trout and
recreation among the shades, refreshed with
the cool eXhalations from brooks fed from the
deep reservoirs Of the winters snow, gained
such vigor that was inspired to attempt great
er exploits among greater game. Arrange
ments were made with the most celebrated bear
hunters OF the Alleghanes to meet at Oakland.
the central village between the SUBMITS on the
hrst Oh TINS month, prepared for a bear cam
paign. The emmy had made frequent descents
upon the flocks Of sheep of those neighborinp
the mountains, and had spread havoc among
the hogs that ventured for mast into the wilder,
ness
10 the scene of these forays we repaired. with
fierce dogs and bold men, but the cumming say
ages got wind of us, and fed to the vast laurel
ana rhododendra thckets, which extend many
mott ar IL, -
tam ranges, filling them up with an impenetra
bic mass Of evergreen brushwood. woven TO-
gether more intricately than fallen crops warp
cd together by hurricane. The laurel beds
are many feet deep, strong and unyielding TO a
forward pressure, and and so entangled that
hunter must make hiS way over and not through
them: The bear ploughs away with his snout
lnvlslbly beneath, the bushes being easily Tftpd
with his body as he mo!es along his pathway.
Here the dogs are no match for a full-rrown
Dear, unless the hunter IS at hand To help and
SO these laurel thickcts, which make up into
.ne mountain receSses like great bays and in
ie'S OF the ocean between promontories, become
rs secure retreats for the brute lords of the wild
DOMAIN, as we've the mountain keeps of the war
Ike hagons OF the dark ages hemmed around bv
deep ravines, PERCEPTIONS crags, and the abattis
OF sharp-pointed, impenetrable bgushwood. In
their early attempts at foFtiication, the lat
Ter seem to have looksd to the instincts of the
aboriginal masters Of the forests for instruction
Inc 4sbyrinths of winding ways which per
E"deu ancient iOrtresses, in which assailants
ignorant OF the clue lost themselves and be-
came imprisoned, while the retreating garrison.
familiar with the maze, escaped, is found in the
laure! ooverts to which the bear retires to main
tam possession of his mountain home. fol
lowed one of these secret passages for more
than mile, getting down on my hands and
knees III some places, climbing over it in others,
and everywhere squeezing my body through
the dense and stubborn limbs by the help/
my arms and legs. 1t was sitter swimmI
than up swift and rolling current. The bed
sip under this obstruction, along paths wot
IN many spots foot deep by the tread of eel
turles. Here the inexpert woodsman soon los1
ttrtsru he rau sfrruuy -rSrrustr1 ms ytrenyrn.
From these secure hauntS, the bears. appriZed
OF danger by the scent or noise of intruders,
only emerge at night to feed upon the chestnuts
and acorns, blackheFrIes and other fruits, in the
open woods. We found their signs i'm these
feeding places-leaves piled in punches where
they had scratched for nuts--trees scratched,
and tender bushes broken by the cubs at play,
and the print OF the great cushioned club-ioOt
in the mud, and i'll the soft soil from which
they had removed the leaves. But they denied
ance. They put themselves upon their dignity,
and We did not get glimpse Of so much of a
stout gentleman Washington lrving's ner-
vous man had of the " Great Unknown
We were obliged, therefore, to conclude our
hunt, and disguise our defeat and chagrin bv
carouSal ut camp over fat buck, whose ribs
and tender loin on splits made our camp fire
delicious to all our senses; in its warmth to
our cold and tired limbs; in its toretaste OF
savory viands TO our furnished appetites; in
the rich smoking venison itself, n fi,ll gratGca.
ton to our craving hosoms, we had nothing To
wish but the rePose we found in the new fallen
leaves tossed up knee deep, and dried before
the fire and turned to down, with a comfort
spread to hold them together, and Mackinaw
blanket and star-lt sky over all.
/ cannot close without telling you that nv
mountain companions were aS noble and sensi-
BILE fellows as it has ever been my fortune to
meet. They were all Roman centurions in
their forms and presence, and an army of such,
with q Washington or jackson TO lead, could
hold the despotiSns Of the world IN awe, and an
Ohgarchy at home that would seyer the Union
and overthrow the liberties Of the people. They
we're, for the most part, descendants Of MeShack
Browning, now the Octogenarsan chief Of the
bear hunters of the mountains, where his in
fancy, manhood, and old age, have been spent.
He has the hook Of one born to command in
the aidst of the Alleghanies. No man ever
had head SO much like General Jackson's.
The same prominent, firm-ses chin, resolved
lips, Roman nose, with something of the refine
ment of the Greek, beaming eyes-sometimes
expressing themselves in lightning, sometimes
in the soft radiance of the rainbow made of
tears, lie has the same thin, elevated, furrow-
ed forehead. crowned with crest of thick, gray
hair lifted like the reused eagles.
This venerable man, who has been a hunter
all his life. and made his living and portioned
off his offspring, now amounting to Up, with
freehods acquired by his gun, may
well he considered the patriarch Of this region
He has always been looked upon, although an
iiiiterate man, as the foremost among the PEG.
pie for sound sense, integrity, heroic courage
generosity, and courtesy. Although
he never had more than six months schooling,
he writes a strong legible hand, and has ma
tive eloquence and talent for conversation
which makes all willing listeners, no matter VINO
compose the company. His friends have per-
suaded him to write the incidents and adven-
lures of his life. 1t may well be entitled The
Life Of Hunter" For the greater part of
a century, and amidst the widest and grandest
scenes of our country, he has been one OF the
highest and most romantic caste,
| read as much of his story in manuscript as
my active pursuit of the same enjoyments in
the same region would permit, and was charmed
to perceive that enough remained Of the orig
inal grandeur of the wilderness, and of the lux
uriancc and beauty of the creation, animate and
inanimate, that belongs to it, to verify the
graphic descriptions of his pages, and justify
the enthusiasm that impeled so much genius
in the career of a hunter. His narration is
given with all the simplicity of Robinson Cru