The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-06
Shooting Ronnd . c.-.a-

| capt. Travis keeps his Memphis admirers in
| . sialo oi couhnuai excitement in reference to
MS Wonoerini achievements with the pistol
his last proposition is more remarkable than
any we have yet seen from him He saws no
will wager $3.50 that he can hit mark with
out seeing IL. and that this mark shall be place
behind the tree from him. He further says
lhe judges shall select tree not less thaa six
feet IN circumference. A board target six by
fivs inches i'll size, shall be placed behind The
tree, at dis tance of thirty yards from his po-
sItion. lie shall not see the target, but with
his pistol Will shoot around the Iree and out
OF twenty shots will hit the target fifteen
times at least making the ball go around the
tree before striking the target The match to
come on within twenty days from the PSI h
instant, iii Arkansas within three miles Of the
city Of Memphis-the place TO be selected by
the judges.
Capt Travis is by no means the first to at
tempt this novel feat, nor is it quite SO aston
Ishing as many might at first suppose it to be-
lhe m0dn5 opsyGndt Of this boomerang :"
shooting will be found fully illustrated in Ihe
following legend, which we clip from the
Newcastle Chronicle. The belt of wan
pun mentioned in this extract is in the hands
Of the editor of the Chronicle
directly after the purchase of Louisiana
from the French Government, Col. Andrew
Eilcot, of Lancaster, Pa, with one hundred
u. ). troops aud about fifty topograph ieal
engineers, axemen, &c, Went down the Ohio
nhd mississippi rivers from Pittsburg, ard,
after safe and speedy passage on fatbcats
arrived at the point where their labors were to
commence in running the boundary between
mexico and newly acquired territory. After
spending some time at their Iabors, and after
haVipg penetrate ed into the interior they were
surrounded by large body of Blackfoot In
dians, who had fully determined to massacre
the whole party.
"Mr. Eilicot, fortunately had shrewd half
oreed interpreter, who, learning the nten ton
Oh the party, made big talk to the chiefs
ana assured them his master was q great
inealcine,' este bic of even raising the Evil
was 10 stand behind a tree one hundred and
nifty yards distant, he could kill him. without
taxing aim or shooting through the tree A tier
some consideration the Indians concluded to
Wy their prisoners power turkey. The
next Gay one was secured, and the distance
was measured off. The Colonel took an axe and
spiil q STAKE, which he drove firmly into the
ground, a few feet beyond the trunk Of the
tree.
After driving the stake in to the ground and
haVlng tied the turkey TO the stake, so that it
could Dc calculated upon where it would be
found when shot at, he passed TO the side of
the tree IN an ob!ique direction and chalked a
small spot on the blade of his axe. after hav-
ing struck II, apparently without care in to
the ground. Taking the position assigned to
him, he fired at the chalk mark on the axe, and
SO automatically correct had the Angles been
calculated, that he, with a giauced ball. abso-
lutely accomplished the feat of killing the tar.
Key without having seen it when takiD aim
30 great was the delight of the principal chief
tnat ne at once unbuckled the belt around his
booy and placed it around Coz. Eli, OTIS
waist, where 1T served to render him honor
ed and respected during the remainder of the
survey"