The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-24
SPORT AMONG SANTIAGO HILLS
Plenty Of Quail and Mountain Full
of Deer.
From Forest and Stream.

From Forest and Stream.
AS member of the Sir Thomas Lip
ton war relief committee Il was nv
fortune to pass about a fortnight in
Santiago harbor, and employed a por-
ton of my time in looking up the game
and fish. On either side of the yellow
fever island there come in two small
rivers, navigable in canoes for about
hye miles, when we reach the lofty
mountains. The water is cool and clear
and quantities of fine fish could be seen,
None were taken by our party, on ac-
count of the lack Of tackle. The bushy
shores contained snipe, quail and
guinea fowl in abundance. No hawks
were visible, but the air was dark with
buzZards around about the city. The
hunters all said that the buzzards did
no harm to the game birds or their
eggs, but were merely scavengers. The
waters of the harbor are pretty slug
gish, and the bottom is covered deep
with greasy mud, but the sailors man
aged to catch some fish one day, in
cluding big red snapper, which was
served in the captains cabin and pro-
nounced excellent. In the harbors of
San Juan, Ponce and Santiago the gars
seemed fairly to swarm. These fish ran
from l to 8 feet in length. At night.
there were many large fish about, judg-
ing from the splashing.
one day a party of us, including
Captain Alexander Of the rough riders,
went to San Juan hill on horseback,
as there are no roads in that part OF
the country. While the captain was
trying to find the body of Capt. Bucky
O'Neill, of Prescott, Ariz., one of his
comrades who had fallen there, the rest
Of us wandered around in the mule
trails, now nearly obliterated, and
grown up to bushes and tall weeds.
From time to time the sound of some
thing familiar would come to the ear,
creating the impression that a farm
yard was near. "Buckwheat! buck
wheat" was the cry, and as we drew
near up went a score of guinea fowl,
the regular dark variety, with white
spots on each feather. The birds didn't
go far so we employed our time chasing
| them from place to place. In doing so
we saw lot of quail, somewhat larger
than our Bob White. These, too, were
very tame, and would let you approach
very near. The boys got out their
revolvers and blazed away, but as no
one had any shot cartridges, nothing
came to bag.
The utter absence OF any venomous
! snakes or insects made US an the more
anxious to hunt for these birds next
day, and we tried all that evening in
Santiago to get decent shotgun. More
than ever did I mourn for my new
Baker hammer gun, lying in its case in
New York city How 1 should have en-
toyed glance along that cylinder
Damascus right loaded with "E. c."
smokeless and No. s shot. No one cared
to try Mausers on the game and as no
amount of persuasion could induce Gen,
Wood to loan his valuable double bar
rel, We had to give up all thoughts OF
hunting. Captain Brickley and the
Port Victors" doctor, McClintic, both
aVowed that their guns would be on
board next trip, and I expect to hear
from them soon.
The dogs in Santiago were mostly
shortlegged hounds with long ears. This
/ wondered at until I learned that the
mountains are full of deer. There is a
railway running back to some iron
mines at Firmeza, 80 miles distant,
where there is excellent deer hunting.
The animals are similar in form and
color TO our deer, but are smaller. The
flesh is excellent. They are killed by
still hunting.