The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-31
FINE SPORT AT CHRISTMAS.
DUCK SHOOTING ILONG THE NORTH
CAROLINA BANKS
where there IL Good Fo,viing from Urcem-
Der 20 Aprii-The Queer People who Live
between the sounds aud the sea.

DeIWecu tnc SOuuuS ana Tue CeHs
BEAUFORT N. c., Dec. 2j-The coast of
North Carolina ia fringed with long Irregular
strips of land known as "the Banks" These
banks vary from two hundr d yards to half
mile in width. Travcl ,fs on board tnc steamers
bound South ut this season Of the year catch
glimpse Of these low, sandy, barren banks. and
MISLEADING them for the main nd. shudder at
the supposed poverty Of the state. Between tho
banks and the mainland. however, are the large
sounds. Albemlre aud Pamlic1, besides other
smaller aud less turbulent sheets of water Con-
spiclous among the lesser sounds Is Bogde,
which has its beginning at Beaufort, and
stretches away to the southwark for twenty nvo
miles. Bogne Banks divide the sound and the
ocean. serving at once as a breakw ter and an
All ling place for certain representatives. Of the
human family
The "bankers" are peculiar people. Like
the Florida cracker or the Digger Indian, their
origin Is wrapped In mystery. They have little
Intercourse with the world and shat little IA
confined to an interchange Of commodities.
They are expert fishermen and hunters. aud the
range Tor both Is wide. They make their own
nets. hollow out cypress log, aud fashion and
Trim Il to the semulancc OF boat. cultivate a
little patch OF potatoes, aud live and flourish In
| "A sort OF rude independence, II not antagonism
| to their more civilized noighbOrs across the
| channel They ire happily ignorant OF tho
making and unmj king Of Presidents, and the
! turmoil of the world generally in no way dis
! tutbs the 'Iudnlmiiy OF ihoir ityes.
At the extreme end If Bocue - nks, and eight
mile, from Cane Lookout Is Fort Macon,
J nr1Nen-down uardpet aud 2. lew diapid lted-
/ I".Nlhs guns constitute thr ipIt. y TOW ~ nth,
/ cOtt res shows the quarters Of the officers, anu
/ q solemn tuw.r is said u D. the hpsmtal. 80
close rcsembl1nce docs TIN, fort bear to
uri IN That ucsri tom - OF Ncrf Iuinoh occur
renee. In TINS emergency the soldier AMI
| bunker are of use to each other. THE lOfmer
al, Ter making his t~c.pe, takes his way hiohg
The banks until he fall, IN with lnkers hut,
| and there disu"sss Of his blouse y nts. ana cip'
| receiving in excndn-e conniete sutt ul non
descr!rt app'fei hen tAe 'fl.'siornr soldier
- irrrist across IN sou i nN tho acc 'mni3-
dating banker aud becoming civilian, cancels
| his eng gemcnt with tncie sam qua Il rarely
! hrought 70 iStce \ i'w wears ago soldier
tir "a OF the monol Onuus hfs OF the crazy old
fort, II adc hts escape IA the custom ~ manner
add aitef micring through several states III
! The direction OF the fIOnticr. At las found em-
ployment In old john ROBINSON circus. There
ne completely finK his IDENTITY ana became
daring bareoacN rider. Niurs than tntee Se!is
had ellp-el, when an oncrr sttoNed into The
show, at that uue PERFORMING IN Iowa. The
officer recognized the delinquent, aud, armed
WIN the necessary cxtradilipn y lper., claimed
hi hind on the solder ACROBAT, and cpnve, ed
hun back to ms old qdlr,er5 at the dismal end
Of Boguc Banks.
THE PARADISE OF sPORrsMES.
Aside from the importance OF BIsue Banks as
a military ,ost and haven OF economy for the
poor man, 1t Is tho very praGise OF sp1ftsnen
The variety and excellence Of its game Is
| eqdalled by few places IN the Northern states.
Water fowl have. thr word over, their fvorite
resorts, ana from December to April the ducks
seem to have chosen B)lue Sound for their
headquarters. - numerous are IN ~ that the
water for miles AROUND Is often black VITA their
bohoias forms. They comprise the canvas
bacHs, malard, coot. hroaduill, braut, black
duck, So ~ tal hshng duok dipper, and the
rtd-heuucl fatt ducS. Inc rail- ducks always
20 In iarg, hocks aud when dist rhed heir
fight ddrSens the MONDAY sun lke . cloud. aud
the nutt4r ~ their WINS sound like the roar Of
The IN. tnoas of ,ntranpinr the wary fowls are
many. me Use ut iIc % uccNy /. as old a. de-
] sol a. g m
eAcelltnt limitations Of he ori.Inni and me nice
distinction. IN suaoe aud pllmase which sepl-
RITE the mullhrd from he canvas back, or the
BLACK duck from The upper, are almost perfect.
\ sport -uan from Rueigh, nanei Willis. INC
fowl for Curlstmas." WINS was a good shOt on
the wing and achnowlodsed NJ superi.r In the
details Of the art. ScOrning the OFFER Of a guide,
he set out atone for the ieedng grounds. sail
Ing close along tn banks five or six miles. lie at
last spied u il0ck of IN lizards. T'kins Town his
sail, he padded slowly toward them. The ducks
gradually separ ted and driit-d naturally along
down the swift current. keeping lust ont Of
range. For hours the sasaclous sportsman pur-
rueH men, unLi " ~ IT, pfuencr ne hred. Iney
other barrel aud none h,w. lhey were ''dum-
mics" placed thert Dy the banAers, aud having
parted from their tl.tenin2s. hat thus drlIded
tnc sbArp hunter. Wills went back - Beaufort
without any ducks and full Of & at what ne
called the cnedp tricks ct the BANKERS.
SHOOTING FRON BLIND.
one OF the most popular ways Of hunting
ducks, esp cloily among fyrOs, Is ths uIind.
1t is pIfticuldrl, fascinating to amateur sporls-
result Of haid MORA the game, Instead o. UeIug
pursued, literally come @ vou. TIE uhud con-
st-ls 81 a scahO.d erected IN the DOW Of tue
sam. aud covered witn piue bougns. The shil
j. guided to the wtudWtrd Of the game, and a.
lowed 10 nlat tow ri them, sometimes coming
W'hn thlrN YARDS before Tue unsusvlclous
flock IKE the alarm. But the most attractive Is
the nlinJ clectCd on some small Island ~ tue
sound AT IN loot 81 an Oh wtdther-worn tree.
Such a natural object atv RISES your lIcat On.
aud under your ruac covert u orusn and tNIgs
lou ilr ih walt. iinurs may pass, .ui YOU only
hear the loon calling mile, away. or the whistlng
piniona ii a nJc. Il urauI .isl in AR md out oi
the re zen or ,uur sin. y Not grow discuur-
.-ed, ana he-iu To despair. suddenly your re-
tie.t viii bs invaded Dy q JcA ot raft uuoks,
which SETTLE down rgtt In front of YOU. lhr
sharp ringing Of our trdiy uimod We pom covers
tlc water Nlfu vrums. Iue Ifad tcrn uJon
th 'ir siirs ant hla upon tue u ie; tue living
Whlrl into IN" ar with loud notes Of sururise
aul indignation ANA are soOA Lost IN thelr de-
scent tJwlId tine h.llk "a.
sol GUrnRlr's PRUNES.
About ten miles from Beaufort. and under tho
brow ut the highest elevation the banks afford.
lives ~ Clihti,. Soi i character, even among
MS fellow bankers. As he himself "thrms ne
was raised ON The banks. IAN and spare, and
dressed IN an old ialed army oyercoat. home
spun ore cLcs. and par OF luug-egged boots.
, WAN ,ce wiinNed aud tanned. and tOugu-
cncd bN exposure, Old Sol pre,ents quaint an
, peardncc. His house l. ALWAYS upen 10 ~ irts.
men, and never was one disappointed IN O.d
1ols hospitality HIS success ~ hunter Is
wei estaIlisned m the region round about, and
many ana many are the boat loads Of ducAs OLA
/, Sol carries TO town during the season ana sells
al ths fate ol forty coats a pair.
Marvellous aie the stories Ola sol relates 81 his
. exploits, Wnru young, IN ~tulu-, IN tulug
passenger. from wrscks. ana returning RUNAWAY
slaves - Their masters. Ga una occasion ship
from the Mediterranean loaded with dried iruit
was wrecked of ne Hanks The beach flr A
, long dist -nrc, among other things, was I'm "a
| WIG plunes. tolierting boat load he Wen. 10
town ana peddicd with great sucCes' his sud
, DENY aca Iired tropical fruit, Iii- sufres, was
Woudcriul; MS pockets wcrp lined Win silver,
and uis boat empN. Mnen auout To return
a'uphlllOus merchant. brought him before a
MAGISTRATE wh1 uned nan me enllte pro'e IDS