Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-07-30
saOE island,

Correspondence OF the Alexandria 6 zotte.
CoBB's Isl MD, July 23.-I have just re
turned tr N a visit to that porcono Isle, Hog
Island. 1t is called so because oil Of its inhab
'anis ere hogs; the men are, IS for the women.
"Dleu vcus earie," they are al married of,
and arc probably by this time dciog what
3hnkspear (uot |, romcmberl says is the chief
mission Of ~Oneo, sucking fools and chroni-
cling small beer Without tho refining Influence
of the softer seY the best Of men soon become
savsgcs. How many old veterans Of our late
var must acknowledge the truth OF this sssrr'
llon. have s5en neu, who Thorough gentle
men in " ~ resp ct, Chesterfeldrau 10 manner,
| neat 10 dress aad ornaments 10 the society iu
when they moved, like the gentle Hamlet,
The glass of fashion and the m9ud of torm,"
after being year In camp, assoclatiug only
| with the o)rser 81 <. become almost barbariaus.
have seen their lIv1 OF nestness disapper 50
much SO that they wouldn't tska the trouble to
put 90 a ceGu shirt. | have seen their idea Of
cleanliness blulted so much so that ofLeu
when By lot they became cook Of the moss thoy
| would use the Same means to try if the frying
pan was hot enough to fry their slap Jacks as
| wsshorToman would use to see if her iron was
| heated enough to smooth her liaop. | have
seen their Inherent politencss give way to
savage barbarity, and have beheld the ci do
want plLks of fashion, the laoSuid Count
D'Orsays, scramble like barbariaus over tn, ir
| ratioEs, or on dusty hot march fight like
| dogs tor water over the solitsry we'll brink, or
| Cvar some lone sprlGg that the soldl rs had dis
cnVcred, and for which rush had been made.
\ IS TAXI all the wIm"n from the universe and
| Tlthlo one decade the world would relrograde
| to that era IL which Darwin tells US the natural
| selection Of apes had at last produs. perfect
physical mao. But | digross again. | will
have to got back to the point OF else have
Jew after me again
won't with party to Hog Islaud, but We
| could not get guides, so did not stay but day.
| The guides we wished to employ wanted to
rob US by the most overwhelming charge over
seen slUce the oden and golden days 10 Vcuico,
when Slgnor Antonio borrowed money 10 tho
Rialtc. After failing in their efforts to Impose
| oE us the Hog Islanders refused US permission
| TO shoot the enormous fish hawks aud eagles
| who build their rcs's and rear their young Oh
| this uhospitable coast, for the rough sous of
tho isle hald these robbers Of the seas 10 as
| much vencration as ths Brahmsos do the white
bulls, and these birds arc really thought as
much OF as tho dogs are ysluod 10 Cvnstanti-
| nopl- or the buzz .rds In Rio Janciro. Why
it is 50 | cannot tell. Ii may be fellow feel
| ing. fer oil the Hog Islanders arc wrsckcrs,
and doubtless will pluoder whenever they can
gel chance. | only know that oScwher. these
wild, hcrc; birds arc shot whenever found, and
thug r., such specimens as tuXdcmist al
Rsys values.
Cant VIC shoot them. asked the loader,
quaint, grim looking davage
1t aein tho law, ha said, and heavy fine,
Against the law, said, what law?
Our law.
Against tho law, said Lao, one of our party,
it cant be. know the laws of the Statn we'll.
There is nothing in the code to prevent a p,r
son from shooting an eagle or fish hawk whup-
ever found.
| ain t q talking about no State law, said the
Hog Islander. Its our island law, and We mean
to keep il.
See hire, my friend, ssi Nnribrop, young
lawyer from New York. is this leland in tn.
State Of Virginia.
Yes.
d. you vote in tho State?
Yes.
What county ia this island 10?
Northampton.
Well, replied Northrop, I'm id it this
Island law don't boat me. Hero you arc y
community, living in tho State Of Virginia.
pasSog laws to suit yourself, Imposing fines
and your Island laws have neither tho dignity
OF legislative enactment or Of the Governors
approval; Why, It's 40 outrage.
outrage or not, answered tho Islander, wo
mean to keep it, and the other hogs gruntcd
out their approval Of the words.
Now look here, said, camo to this Island
to hunt, and am going to huat this place is
the property Of the State, and YOU have lust
shcu. as much right to pass that law as van
have TO confscato our boat. I am going to
hupt eagles and hawks with this Winchester
rifle, that burns seventy-fvc grains of powder,
carries an ounce ball, aud shoots seventeen
times without rroadiug, ard if any of your
gang attempt to arrest toe | will treat them the
same as if was attacked on tho highway.
We'll go with you said the rest and the
whole PARTY spent q pleasant day roaming over
the lslaod, our SPOTS amounting to over O
dc2 eagles and hawks. Ths Hog Islanders
d'd not proceed to eXtromcs after all.
20 this Island is the light house, which sits
back from the shuro about mile, the interyen:
Ing space being nothing but drcary waste Of
sand, so hue and penetrating that in g high
Rlnd 1t flies through tho air like driving snow.
During cyclone last fall the waves sgrpt over
the Island, carrying off all the stock and cattle.
only leaving QUE solitary sheep behind. rhs
Island is not over 6yo or six feet above the high
water mark, and has some timber 90 it. A
moro Wild. bleak, desolate place it is difficult 10
imagine stunted trees, or dead ones surround
you, with here and there high pillows of sand,
and the salt marshes stretch away as far o.
your eye can reach. 1t is fearful place for
mosquitoes. which grow hero to the size of
spring chickens, and other flies and bugs. A
Arlosto once suug Of beautiful Italy, I'll psr-
o y Tue r'traln 81 as to give you clear idea OF
the charming place called Hog Island,
That beautiful land,
That far away home Of the ticks and tho
chiggcr,
Where the fiddler crabs crawl on tho hot burn
log sand,
And the mosquitoes and flies, sting both the
white and the digger.
see by tho papers of tho fearful heat pre-
valllog last week 1t seems as iu the mountains
the thermometer ruled as high as 10 the low.
lands. | was surprised at this, for it has been
COOL and TIaasaDk bcra oil III g..