Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-25

deer, and elk. A party OF Tappers
who spent one winter there say the
elk came down like herds Of cattle and
destroyed their hay. They we're COM
PEELED to drive them away to save any
grass or other feed for their pack
horses.
One of tho wonders Of Henry's lake
is the floating island. When we csmped
at night O lovely island was within a
stone 's.throw Of US. We decided to
explore it in the morning. The sofc
green carpet, the dropping willows, and
stiff little pines, so near the shining sur
face of the cool blue water, filed US
with q desire to rest in their shade.
When morning came the island was
gore. Five miles away we could see
the little trees waving in the wind that
had waited them to the opposite side Of
the lake. The wind changed, however,
and the my sterious island came on its
daily orbit and rested, while all ma
tuIe was hushed that lovely after
noon rear whore We had first seen it.
We padded a raft Of logs TO its border.
1t was circular in shape aud 300 feet in
diameter. The outer edge was tough
sward, and so thin that it gave down
under the weight of man and let him
into the water boot-top deep. A few
feet from the edge it would support the
weight Of a horse. The floating mass
we found to be mat Of grass-rOots
oyerspread with a thin layer OF decayed
vegetable matter. The small trees had
taken root in that blanket Of mold.
They rocked and swsyed from side to
side as we walked around them. As
We approached the island large num-
Der OF swans were seen to swim away.
There seemed to be two kinds-white
and gray. Their cultural calls could
be heard five miles. In the wake Of
some that evidently were filling the
Office of mother, as they iloated msjes
tically away, were following the cyg-
nets, fluffy and round like punches of
tow. In the grass near US was swan
futtering and crying as she stretched
out her long neck and spread out her
broad white wings. She splashed into
the water when we were twenty-five
feet distant and disappeared. When we
next saw her she was far out on the
lake swimming with three or four very
small young ones close behind. She
had managed to get them out Of the
nest and into the water, and they had
followed her. They were not one day
old. In the nest from which they had
been hurried were five eggs not yet
Matched. Two white. soft, Hat bills
had Just broken through the hard shell.
Tie fat man Of the party contracted 70
complete the Matching process in the
bosom Of bis shirt and We carried the
tgo eggs to camp. Oar incubator was
a success, and on the following morn
ing he drew forth from the recesses Of
hi, baggy fannel-shrt two long heads
and long necks, with small down-coy-
cred bodies attached.
Another curiosity near the lake is
what is called Moose Springs. From
the mouth Of cave in the side Of a
bluff bursts forth river Of considerl.
BILE size. The sparkling water, after
seethi0g and roaring under the woigh.
Of great pressure or other hidden forces,
spreads out over a rocky bed Of glis..
teHing quartz forty feet vide, and leaps
from ledge to ledge DOM the preclpi-
tous heights. Thousands Of mountain
trout are continually trying to stem that
tumbliDg current. They can be seen
lounciDg in the air from morning till !
night in their effort to gain the under
ground river, after following the tumul- !
tuous Snake to the summit Of the great /
watershed Of the continent. Indians |
catch and pack away from that place !
tons Of trout every year. When we |
visited the fshing-ground hungry no.
madic tribe Of dusky natives, after
weary days Of travel, were arranging |
camp and looking happy over the pro-
spect Of a sumptuous meal. They |
we're to feast on fish that we're yet un-
caught.
After lighting the log.tire5 the tish- /
ermen repaired TO the foot Of the steep /
incline by the rushing outlet Of the /
subterranean river. Each man cut
slender rod ard shaped the end Of it to tit |
loosely the hollow end of a buck'5-hOrn /
spear-tip. A strong cord attached the
tip to The rod or haft Of the spear. \
muscular brave would step isrgard,
brawny bare arm would raise the simple
implement above his head, where 1t
would balance for a second, and then
ike an arrow il would be hurled into
the water with sure aim; q trout
would flash his speckled sides in the
sun, the blood would flow in a red
cloud down the stream. and fine fish
would be landed on the green sward.
The buchh horn tip would pass through
the body and slip from the halt a3 il
was pulled back. The cord fastening
the tip 20 tho rod would hold the fish,
let hlm founder as be would. After
catching abou! ten pounds for each
member Of the company they proceeded
20 cook tie evening meal in manner Is
simple as it was strange. Large quanti.
tics Of soft clay were dug from :hs bau6
and Buee3cd to the consistency Of
dough, end each fish was separately .
tncased in a coating a5ou. an inch
thick and thrown into the fire to bake
They were cooked without dressing
Some of them were gaping for breath
as they were besmired with clay. The
case soon hardened in the lire like brick
N a kiln. The oil sized and sputtered
through the seams. Experts watched
closely, and when the perfect cremstic
state was reached the fish we're with
Drawn from the bed Of fire. The shells
we're broken with small stones, and the
delicious morsels were turned out steam
ing, white, and sayory enough to tempt
IN epicuro.
1t is related that Senator Vance once
saved himself bad experience from
his well.known ability to tell a good
l. =. |