Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-12-23
BUFFALOES
BUT WITH A CAMERA, AND NOT
WITH A GUN.
Ernest Harold Baynes Tells of an In
teresting Day in the Corbin Game
Preserve on Croydon
Mountain.

ASSboA Noy mOAuiu6, dS L lOOhCu 1tOh
my. window upon Croydon mountain
the sun, which was rising behind it
silvered the white tree-tops along its
summit. The day before, white clouds
enveloped the top of Croydon, and the
moisture which had condensed upon
the tops of the evergreens had turned
to crystals in the night. A grassy
plateau to the west of the mountain
and just outside my garden, was also
white with a heavy coating Of hoaI
frost, and upon this cleaning field a
herd of more than a hundred buffaloes
stood facing the northwest gate, which
opens directly from my garden into the
Corbin game preserve. They had passed
the night on a grassy hilltop, a mile to
the southeast; had just charged down
I'VE a woodland trail, and now stood
blowing clouds of vapor from their wet,
black nostrils.
AS there was the promise of a bright
day, l took my camera, a score of plates,
and a field glass and set out prepared
to hunt the buffalo until sunset, or I'M
til all my ammunition was gone.
After entering the gate, | walked
quietly eastward, along the fence, pre-
tending not to see the %buffaloes, for,
e-fteR-as-Aety the moment they see that
they ar@Jkttracting special attention,
they Will Rive afew grunts of alarm and
gallop>aoff, leaving you to follow them
over hill and Gale for a mile or two, and
then another mile or two after that,
if you are net careful. After getting
we'll to the east of the herd, | crawled
along under cover of a stone wall, until
the animals were within reasonable
range. From where | lay, the ground
slanted slightly upwards toward the
west, so the dark forms of the buffaloes
were in good relief against the light
brown grass. Some Of them were lying
down now. and, slipping the nozzle OF
the camera through a gap in the wall,
| got a picture Of them in this position.
| then worked round them until | could
get them against the sky, for this is one
Of the best of all backgrounds for buf-
faloes. In order to do this. however.
| was Obliged to show myself, but as |
walked along as though ON business in
some other part OF the preserve, the
animals took no notice of me-. One
photograph of the herd IL the distance,
and another at much closer range, were
the result of this maneuver, and the
buffaloes, finding that no harm came
from my presence, nov seemed pre-
pared for ever fursaer advances. AS l
sauntered very slowly toward them,
those which were lying down quickly
arose to their feet, and all of them gave
me their undivided attention. After
getting two nor snaps at the herd, !
began to try for pictures of individuals.
But first | sat down and waited, that
they might become used to seeing mo
near them. Two or three animals, how
ever. were getting restless, and one
young four-year-old bull kept grunting
from time to time, as though giving il
as his opinion that | was not to be trust
ed. Presently he gave an emphatic
grunt and started to walk away in the
direction of a valley to the south, and
l knew that. il he ever broke into a
trot going down that hillside, the entire
herd would follow him like sheep
through a gap in the fence. So, as
though by accident, | quickly placed
myself between him and the valley.
and she, finding that his move was
checked, trotted back to his compan-
Ions. @4d the danger of a stampede was
for the moment. averted.
The herd was now becoming uneasy,
and DIV friend, the young bull before
MENTIONED gave a loud grunt and
dashea-away toward the valley, with
two or three others close in his wake.
Lk6AE that to stop the stampede now
Wpud# be about as easy as to stop an
avalanche or a landslide, so | stood
aparhand gave them plenty of room.
One great flying wedge of brown. with
the ~four-year-old bull at its apex, they
went laundering down the hill, and
through the valley along the bank of
the brook. Then, in a long string. they
filed up a hill to the west, along the
ridge. and down into a valley beyond.
AS | watched them through the glass
from a hilltop | could see. in a hollow
which was crossed by the trail, another
smaller herd of %buffaloes, lying at rest,
and in the apple orchard further to the
south was still another herd; and as
the main body went through, these
| smaller ones fell in with them, until
about $50 buffaloes were on the march.
Laden as | was, it seemed wiser to give
| them time to slow down before attempt
ing to come up with them, so sat down
by the brook and, had my lunch. When
l overlook the buffaloes, they were
about to enter a wood, and here | photo
graphed them again. AS they moved
| through the wood, they presented q
strange appearance. The trail was dim
ly lighted and was filled with a surgine
mass of great hairy beasts, parts only
of whose outlines could he seen. Nov