The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1878-08-02

. ~ WE pihc VI - ihNh'1 i'hthhf
which scaled II pounds-only 4 ozs.
less than the Prof.'s estimate.
Col. Bohon, who accompanied us
10 see that every thing had been ar
ranged according to specifications,
claimed the care and cooking Of that
jack, and at 1l:30, nine hungry men
attacked what they unanimously de-
clared the most delicious dish Of fried
fish that they had ever tasted. Our
condiments comprised even red-pep-
per-pods and Gloucester sauce, but as
in the instance Of a celebrated fish
dinner in the Apostolic era, there
were loaves and fish gathered up after
all had eaten and were not an hunger
ed. Fish at our first meal upon the
river bank was more than we had
hoped, and 50 encouraging begin.
ming started us upon our afternoon
run, aglow with citation and anticipa-
tions Of the rarest sport Of our expe'
rience-which were fully realized.
When we pushed of our loaded ca.
noes we expected to have an easy run
to the Devils Jumps said to he three
or four miles above, but after we had
leisurely and carelessly fshed over
fully four miles of water, we were not
particularly felicitated by the informa-
ton from a native that we were about
half way.
The labor incident to hauling our
boats over fsh-dam at the head Of a
long and swift shoal so exhausted the
entire party that proposition to en-.
camp was carried by reclamation, but
not before enough salmon and bass
Md been taken for supper and break
fast, leaving large surplus to he dis
tributed among our visitors. The
better portion of the fishing hours
were lost Thursday morning in vain
efforts to capture minnows from a
tributary whose waters were as clear
as the very air, but a good supply was
brought us that afternoon. Seated
upon the rocks at Devils Jumps, at
midday, a string of beautiful black
bass and salmon was taken, the Col.
landing a lob. salmon with No. 2,
Meek reel, small grass line and a
switch-like rod which would pass mus
ter in a collection of fy-rods. The
bait used was a dead club, and the
butt Of the rod had been thrust into
crevice to await the chances, whilst
the owner was manipulating the choice
minnows with his favorite tackle.
Whilst seated upon those rocks,
with little more of the sky visible
than would comfortably cover an or
binary fair ground amphitheatre, the
crowd was startled by an unexpected
clap Of thunder, soon followed by an
hours rain fall, such as that party
can't remember to have ever before
seen. The tent and umbrellas were
lying folded in the prov of a canoe
half mile away, and-you've heard of
drowned rats" II would be super
fluous to 60 into details of every days
catch-for each days experience was
a repetition of Its predecessors. Ours
was the first angling party that had
ever visited that part of the world,
and We found the waters literally
teeming with black bass and salmon
which had not been cultivated till
they manifested an exasperating cap
riciousness about diet. On the other
hand, they were charmingly free from
any thing Stimulating fastidiousness,
and | saw Col. Faulkner take .our
fine bass with one dead minnow. He
reluctantly made cast for the fourth
which, captured, he flung the bait
from him and demanded fresh min
now, with the declaration that he
would not longer perpetrate such
fraud upon the unsuspecting fishes.
The last four days of our stay upon
the river, the Prof. rarely wet line,
declaring that he esteemed it a matter
of inhumanity to catch more, even
had he not been surfeited. There were
always residents conveniently by to
gratefully accept our profiered surplus,
and the ghosts of no fishes dragged at
the sterns of our canoes till decompo-
sition had set in, and were then
thrown away, disturb the calm Of our
party's consciences, for not fish was
wantonly destroyed on that excur.
sion.
The residents continue to trap as if
it was legitimate, and they use trot-
lines and set-Outs. They also shoot
and spear fish, but the population is
sparse, and fishing is limited. In our
cruise OF seventy miles we probably
saw a trap ON an average of seven to
ten miles, and lot of set-outs at
about as many points. Occasionally |
a grapevine trotline was found stretch
ed across the river.
The first forty miles of our canoe
ing was through sandstone region,
u,l..o Al. --.R