The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-07-04

val az siysy years, we arrived at the place
az descent To the lake Eat. The ridge we
were upon was some two hundred feet
above the iake-plain. From the foot OF the
ridge, as Gar as the eye could reach there
was n.l eXiaanse of forest, consisting OF sun
mense trees, with here and there openings
az water Tint were parts OF the lake. Reaeli-
ing the notion, and there finding very GU = !,
,rious Indications bi the violence sist ~ i
years since, we !0urneyed for mile W
Carpenters binding the place Tor eatnp y y
and fishing. The plain was several mlle %
broad 10 the Mississippi, and conslsteu. , oa
immense trees, andswamps, and Waser ~, .no
lake and several outlying miniature il I'm, =
the apparent pets OF the Reei.foot. lh,s
lake beads near Hickman, ky., anu eA.cuus
come cav. as far as sixty miles, inciudhng,
xva s,nnose. the bends--and yet few In sfe
eastern States know anything OF 1t. Hts
from q hail mile to six miles wide. fits<
,s i CARPENTERS LANDING = a'3'@
we unhiteh and unload and take refresh
ments, TO which fishermen are SO much
given! After noon we adventure upon the
water. we find that Mr. Carpenter, the
owner OF the landing. has . reconstructed :,
his house, which was last year lifted up and
DESTROYED by a hurricane. There were four
teen persons, including Mrs. Carpenter and
family, IL, the building at the time, and not
one was seriously hurt. Mr.. Carpenter en-
tertains the sportsmen who come to his land
ing in very fair manner. The region is
one that is badly off for comforts. The
floods of winter and spring prevent such
improvements and tillage as would make the
region comfortable Where we camped the
water rises sometimes six to eight seet above
the ground, and Mr.. Carpenters building
rests upon POSTS eight feet high; but indeed
the sportsrnan will find in it good cheer.
s,-~'.> HURRICANES.
Tue region is strange. The marks OF
earthquake and storm are abundant. Inc
hurricane sweeps almost every year through
This region. Ittrayels in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
above the trees, now nearer the earth, and
then suddenly rising, it leaves untouched
places in its route. Its immense power IS
Shown along its track. Great beectes, and
oaks, and sugar-trees are twisted of at va
rious heights, their tops carried of, and
their stumps, tall or low, exhibiting stub
Of spIinters. Houses are lifted up and car
ried off and fields cleared OF fences. we
1rayersed the tracks OF hurricanes that have
visited the country for several years--one
OF them the present year-and the marks OF
their destructive power are wonderful.
OUT on THE LAKE-BAD LUCK.
Out upon the lake we went in the light
canocs-so well suited to the water-and
with good lines and good bait essayed TO
tempt the game fish to bite. 1t is not worth
while to prolong the story Of our expert
cnce. The fish would not bite. The canoe
in which I rode was directed by venera-
bic Yirginian named Coic-Thomas Cole-a
native OF King William county, who, hay-
ing passed long life in industry and 'ad-
venture, has at last settled down at seventy
FIVE winters upon Rcel-Foot lake, ana no
man takes more pleasure in the sport OF
fishing than does be, or shows more perse-
verance and action il pursuit OF it. We
coaxcd the fish il the most inviting waters
in open spaces, III hooks hemmedin by logs,
by the lily-pods, and in what are called the
sloughs Of the lake, and the fish treated all
our Overtures with contempt.
FISH CERTAINLY ABUNDANT.
At last Mr.. Cole says, "I will show you
the fish," and proceeding to the shadows
from three to six feet deep, there in the
long grass which waves upon the surface
were the big fish--the black bass, the perch
OF several kinds, the jack and pike, and,
indeed, all the game fish. They were fioun-
dering and leaping on every hand. l have
never seen such show Of fish. The lake is
notably one of the best-stocked waters in
the Union.
THE EAST WIND.
"They are. engaged in sallantry aud
spawning" said MIR. Cole, ''and, besides,
the wind is in the east, and they will never
bite while it sets in that quarter" ''Wbat
do they know about the east wind" 81
know not" said our friend, "butas sure as
live they won't bite while the wind blows
from the east" II seemed to me from the
hurricanes and the tremors OF the locality
that the earth was full Of the " east wind"
Even the fish are afraid of it. This fancy
OF the fish reminds US OF the anecdote OF
Sir Isaac Newton and the shepherd boy.
Sir Isaac, being warned by the boy OF q
shower, returned after he had gotten good
wetting to ask the youth how he knew it
would rain. In answer, all he got was !:
'sWheneyer you see that black ram turn
his tail to the wind it's going to rain" Dis
satisfied, Sir Isaac, wondering how science
is SO often puzzled by rustic signs and SUI
perstitions, left the field. IL
ONLY 10 SEE THE LAKE.
But what were fish to meI could not
catch them, and had seen the strange fea-
lures Of the locality; and that's achat came
to see. So entered into conversation with
my venerable companion, and exchanged
with him great deal of popularity and talk
Of one kind and another. fancied from
his good humor and buoyancy of spirit
that he was probably
GOLD KING COLE"
himself: person to whom I have always
been attached. he and FATHER GRIMES are
not myths. | have held intercourse with
them both. One is the most festive, the
other the -kindest, man / ever knew; and
there / sat in the same boat with the. old
King, now somewhat curtailed OF bis royal
enioyments, but irrepressibly genial and
faithful to all good temper and good hearts.
Father Grimes is bis brother in goodness,
although more sedate. he lives in peace
with all men. With q conscience void OF
offence, his only care is to be at peace with
neighbors and prevent trespass upon the
comforts and decency OF his own, humble
and peaceful home. People report him
dead, but I lodged under his kind and sim
pie roof very recently. I sat long on the
lake, enjoying my friends company, assured
that if ! could not catch fish along with him
I would as well lay by the rod and line and
spend the time in talk So the time passed
till the end OF the fishing.
NIGHT on THE LAKE.
MY camp-felloWs would not allow me to
sleep under canvas in, the open air, and i
was forced to- get under the roof OF Mr..
Carpenter. Istontly maintained my ability
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