The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-10
Shooting of Guinea
Fowl on One of the
Leeward Islands.
THEY ARE FAST OF FLIGHT.
Not an Easy Thing to Bring
Down One Of the Big
Birds.

+ha Washington SUdf, the guinea fowl !
has found the climate and productions
of the southern islands just suited to his
warm-blooded and vivacious nature,
and in certain parts of Cuba, Porto |
Pice Jamaica and other smaller islands
has become the leading game bird Of
the country. There is. in fact, no Wild
foatbered game to rival him, eithar in
size or quality, throughout all the West
Indies
While good sport may now and then
be had with this bird in few islands
NJ the Greater Antilles, the only place
where the guinea bird fairly swarms is !
less known and seldom visited. This
snot is a small island lying about thirty
niles north of Antigua, the seat of gov
eminent of the Leeward confederation
belonging TO the British, called Bar
buda.
The white gentlemen residing there
had leased the island from the crown,
and were working it for all it was
worth" One of them was a clergyman
Of the Church of England, and the other
n nlanter bred to the raising of sugar
cane and the oversight of laborers.
As the island had been without news
from outside for many moons, l was
made mere than welcome, and immedi-
ately my wants were made known II
was furnished with a horse, a sable SER
want and a dog, who accompanied mel
on my excursions afield Our first visit
was to a vast Enclosure where the
guinea fowl were said to be abundant,
and we arrived at their Scratching
ground about mid-afternoon The deg
nut up a fine male bird, and let go
both barrels at him without touching a
feather. 1t was the same with the sec
ond and che third bird That got up and
sailed away into the dim distance, like
railroad train making up for lost
time
Puzzled and ashamed at my poor
shooting I vowed that the next flock l
saw on the ground should not be all
lowed to take wing without pot Shot,
anyway, but even then there was some
how a discrepancy between my antici-
pations and realiZations. l never in my
life before saw such fast birds on the
wing nor such rapid ones afoot They
were thoroughly wild, and probably had
been for many generations. At last, as
the sun was sinking behind the pea
grapes on the shore, we approached an
old field where my guide said there was
sure to be a flock busting" and if
warily approached could be taken cas-
lily. This time, as the chattering fowl
hurled themselves into the air, caught
two of tnem right gnd left, by firing
ahead of them about half a rod, it
seemed to me. Anyway they tumbled
erd over end, and was rewarded for
my hours of toll beneath the ardent
rays Of a tropical sun. The pair weighed
seven pounds, and that night we had
the tenderer of the two, a comely puliet
roasted for dinner, 1t was brought TO
the table garnished with all sorts OF
good things, the. huge platter on Which
It lay being borne afoft upon the mead
Of a grinnng cook. Al nd it was tooth
some-the pullet-despite the haste with
which it had been Invested of it's fea-
Tiers and driven direct to the spit. This
hurried mode of preparation was not
due to sny eXigency Of the occasion,
but to the culinary customs Of the trop-
les They have no cold storage, hardly
any of them refrigerators, in the IS
lands
After refreshing night beneath the
mosquito curtains, at dawn, next morn
i ing was called for a bath, and, then,
j swallowing a biscuit and cup OF
strong coffee, was off with my guide
for the deer preserve Whatever may
Il
the nights and early mornings are de-
lghtfully COOL so we tramped through
the lanes and across the fields to the
woods as vigorously as though taking
spin in the north. The woods were
dense and we merely skirted their bor-
ders keeping we'll in their shadows;
Tor at that hour the deer would be
feeding mostly in the open fields. FL
4 nally, my man pointed eagerly ahead to
bunch of wild cattle grazing quietly
some 300 yards away, and exclaimed
Look dab, sab; yander's a fine buck
right close T. dat ole bull My heart
What hons he got!' Unfortunately
lor the success of my plans, the cuf
aog with us, who always logged at our
heels when wanted ahead on the trail
saw or smiled the deer at the same
plne, and Immediately Strengthened out
MS crooked legs and darted off in the
direction of the herd, yelping in a way
mat would have walked the dead. Of
course no deer in possession of his fac
uues would wait for US after that rude
ssSSlutation, and there was lightning
IKE stampede, not only of three bucks
ana does, which had been feeding un'
observed, but Of the wild cattle II
whose company they were.
we tramped all that morning, saw
several deer at distance, and signs O
al mnumerable multitude; but the only
r rJaI satisfaction ] experienced was
I"neH william Jack, my guide, after
S@.V chase, captured and '1ambasteC
mercy.
,o a turn in the guinea grounds brough
o cne uAree fine fowls, and after an hou
o,s Ho az the bull hole" where grount
S Suu turtle doves were congregated b!
10 xxrif
spot N'F VS'
ca, sald Mr. Hopkins, the overseer, as w
att I On the Veranda after dinner: "Da,
Sa ,er ' e9morrow is Sunday, and the onl,
nayst nave off. Dust keep shy Of tn
o oS' S and I'll put you up to a buncl
R,t Yer mat have never been shot al
a.; mutn's the word, my boy"
NV ~ lae parson as he lighted me I
my, '9oin that night. 1--WE got my ser
mann nov nnIshed, and not much to do to
10 ~, III take you with me owe
a 6Sa pat cave, and If we don't &c
tbnte lat buck, going or coming back
NIX WI be something amiss."
Off ~ ~ lhe eyerseer saw us amblinl
mor, al hour after sunrise, on Saturda,
and n, ne put his tongue In his cheel
to say !,ouqed significantly, as much a
Son w., soho, If you go. with the par
chanoI utay then You'll have to atten'
notprs Jpimorrow" But he took it good
r,de e NY II was a most enjoyabl
whero' !9hg by the shore TO Bat cave
their s me Caribs once camped and lief
tokerss 'one implements Of warfare a
past M M their presence here In tn
awhiio men we routed and followed 70
comina q Hook of wild sheep, finall
" tbn nc, 70 big ceiba tree in a corne
tul ana | ~ where the shade was CRATE
Canstn'ne protection complete.
hOrsee Ivy our attendant to take tn
ana r% asked me to creep up to the wa
tine U u,a, through a clink, at the sam
cd. wora5Nlhg no noise | did as direct
for / Yil,,uerlngly, but still on the alert
rroceoSHt,leW there was method In hi
| H. Veungs and annlvi,,o NV owe [