| Title: | From Thos. Wm. Magrath, Esq., Upper Canada, to the Rev. Thomas Raddiff, Dublin. |
|---|---|
| ID | 4557 |
| Collection | Authentic Letters from Upper Canada [Rev. Thomas Radcliff] |
| File | radcliff/15 |
| Year | 1832 |
| Sender | Magrath, Thomas Wm |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Erindale, Toronto, Upper Canada |
| Destination | Dublin, Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev. Thomas Radcliff |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 2011 |
| Genre | hunting |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Erindale, January, 1832. My dear Sir, You expressed a wish to learn something original, and in detail, upon the field sports of Canada—and I will endeavour to gratify you. Many new settlers have been surprized at not frequently seeing, deer, bears, wolves, &c. in this country; as if those animals were to walk out of the woods, and shew themselves, as their keepers would present them in a menagerie, for public exhibition, not considering that they are of retired habits, not given to obtrude, nor much pleased at having their secluded haunts invaded. Therefore, except to the persevering sportsman, they seldom give demonstration of the numbers that really occupy our extensive forests. It is also an erroneous opinion with many, that no fat venison can be procured here; but though our family resided in a venison country, in Ireland, abounding with parks, I can aver that I have repeatedly shot fatter deer here than I ever saw there. What has given rise to this opinion is that when the bucks are in their prime, in August and September, the farm works are too important to be sacrificed to amusement. I have known the most devoted sportsmen, when once settled on their own property, and feeling the necessity of giving personal attention to its improvement, to have abandoned the fowling-piece altogether, during the busy season but to have gladly resumed it in the Winter, (the Canadian's Jubilee,) while the ground is covered with snow, and scaled up by frost, to the prevention of all farming operations. This, then, becomes the selected season for deer shooting, when the bucks are out of condition, which accounts for the foregoing remark. The Does, however, though an inferior quality of venison, are at this time in high order, and very acceptable at the settler's table—nor is it necessary to be too fastidious, as to either sex—as the servants and labourers on the settlement, though they like plentiful meals, are not epicures, and will not object to a haunch of venison, although destitute of an aldermanic cut of fat. My brothers and I are now become expert. If we have luck. We'll bring a buck, Upon our lusty shoulders home. Old Glee. In winter we make it a point to provide abundantly for the larder. However, as you desire this sporting information for young settlers, I shall commence with our first day's work, and go forward in regular detail. The Winter after our arrival here, my brother and I made our first essay, about sixteen miles back in the woods behind our house. However young at this particular sport, we were not inexperienced in the use of the rifle. Mine was of the true Yankee cut—three feet, six inches in length—as heavy as a musket—the bore, calculated for balls seventy to the pound; and his, a short Spanish rifle- two feet, ten inches long—carrying half-ounce balls, thirty-two to the pound. We took a wide range for the entire day, and never got a shot. We saw indeed, abundant tracks, and many singles as the deer darted off through the wood, but had no opportunity of presenting our rifles with any prospect of effect. In despondency we returned to the farmer's house where we were to sleep, disgusted with our sport, or rather with our failure. When the family were assembled in the evening, and talked over our disappointment, the fanner, a thorough-bred Yankee, said "Well—I guess you know nothing about this here deer shooting. I calculate I will go out with you to-morrow, and see how you get on." We thanked him, and having received from him some preliminary instructions, and a good breakfast before day light next morning, turned out with our host, in the hope of a more successful day. He was even of greater value to us as a model, than as a monitor; for as soon as we got upon the track of a deer, we could at once perceive by our companion's manner of proceeding, the true cause of our own failure the preceding day. He was all quietness. We had been all bustle. He walked silently and steadily along, taking special care not to break, or even touch the point of a branch, lest the sound should disturb the game. We had been slashing and smashing every thing before us, which could not fail to rouse at a distance, far out of view, or at least out of shot, a timid animal, most susceptible of alarm. Upon holding a council of war, at the suggestion of our practised hunter, we agreed that my brother and I should separate, on distinct tracks, and our Mentor in an undertone said to us— "You may have pretty considerable sport, I guess, if it be not your own fault—be silent and steady— I calculate you will have to keep down your hands—well, step gently through the snow—if you see a deer running past, shout out, and I guess he'll stop—I wish you sport." Upon which he wheeled about, and returned to his farm-yard We observed his directions, and when some time on the track which I had followed, I found by it that, at a particular place, the deer had stopped, and turned, and sprung off again, compassing a tremendous distance at each bound, leaving me but little hope of coming up with him, though, by the indication of the snow, as I went forward I could observe that he had frequently stopped and turned, but, alas! had again continued his progressive course. The snow being eighteen inches deep, and the walking very laborious, I sat down quite exhausted, to recover my fatigue and to consider how I was to get back. Resting quietly, with my rifle across my knees, I heard some branches snap; and the next minute a noble buck came dashing along, within shot. Springing up (as I had been instructed by the farmer,) I gave a shout. That moment he stopped, snorted and looked at me—I fired; but, to my great disappointment, he bounded on, leaving me to conjecture how I could have missed so fair a standing shot, and within twenty paces! Having loaded again, I went up to the place where he had stood, and found a large gush of blood upon the snow. I felt as if I had not walked a mile. In a little time I caught a glimpse of the poor fellow within fifty yards- trees however, were too close. He moved slowly on, with drooping head and lagging step, and, stopping for a short space, lay down apparently in pain. Then taking deliberate aim at the head, I fired. The branching antlers, by a quivering movement, indicated a short and final struggle to rise—on coming up, I found him stretched on his side, and for the first time, enjoyed the savage, but instinctive, delight of seeing an American deer lying at my feet, brought down by my own hand—what was next to be done? I had left my knife behind me, and could not perform the necessary operations in breaking up the deer, as it is termed, and must of course be burdened with the entire weight of the interior—but how was I to drag along the first fruits of my deer hunting career? By a clumsy and fumbling application of my ramrod to his nose, I succeeded in making a perforation sufficient to admit the end of my handkerchief—securing it there, I moved him with difficulty along the snow: not having any means of tying his fore feet to his nose, (which is usually done,) they caught in every log and branch I passed, by which I was both retarded and fatigued. Stopping to rest, I found that in the confusion of my joy, my rifle had been forgotten where I fired the last shot—and it should have remained there till next day, but for the apprehension of its being covered by the snow of the night. I returned for it; yoked myself again to my cumbrous but honorable burden, and was proceeding gallantly, when the head of the buck happened to catch on a stump; at a sudden pull the handkerchief giving way, down I went head foremost, rifle and all, into the snow. My sporting ardor would notwithstanding have made light of this, and of the weight I dragged along, had I not discovered to my utter consternation that I was in a wrong track, and had completely lost my way. Still moving on, however, my ear was gratified by a distant shout to which, on my part. I most joyfully responded. This gave me new life to tug along the trophy of my successful sport—another shout! still nearer and more distinct—returned by me of course— "a louder yet and yet a louder strain," —one other shout—and all was still. The parties mutually attracted by the approaching signals, had met, and shaken hands—and there appeared my brother Charles, yoked to another deer!! On asking him in what direction the farmer's house lay I was mortified to find that he knew as little of the matter as myself. He had a knife, however, which enabled me to lighten the buck to which I was harnessed, and to brace his feet and head in a more convenient manner for the draft. We then agreed to keep straight forward in the hope of crossing on some Concession line which might direct us in our course; but the sun had disappeared; the twilight was receding fast, and a faint gleam of moonlight through the trees afforded us but precarious assistance; at one place, however, where they were not so close, a stronger light broke in, and Charles, in great joy, called out that he had come upon a track; but judge what my disappointment must have been, and let me have the sympathy of all brother sportsmen, who may learn that the buck, which had travelled behind me for so many hours, was again lying within a few yards of the very spot on which he had first fallen. By this time, in sporting phraseology, I was completely done up, and obliged to abandon my game from downright inability to pull it after me another yard—My brother still stuck to his—but saddled me with the weight of his rifle. Becoming, shortly, as exhausted as myself, his deer was also left behind; and struggling on a little farther, so weak were we from fatigue, that we were deliberating upon ridding ourselves of the incumbrance even of our rifles, when a sudden shot was fired beside us—a horn sounded—almost in our ears, which we acknowledged by a double discharge—and to our great joy discovered that we were close to our good quarters of the night before; whilst, to our utter amazement we were informed that we had been all the time so near the house, that the people repeatedly heard our voices and were surprised at our staying out so late. Our guide of the morning received us hospitably, guessing "we had missed our way, and calculating, that it would be better if he had not left us, as he saw we did no good after all;" our point of honor, as sportsmen, being called in question, we averred that each had brought down his deer; two of the spunky boys turned out, and soon returned with both deer to confirm our veracity and triumph. In the morning it was great amusement to review our circuitous tracks, (which, as they said, "had bet down the whole place pretty considerably,") and to perceive that we had gone round and round in rings, within the limits of twenty acres, that were never passed during the space of the last five hours!! which terminated the hunting of our second day. I remain, my dear Sir, Your's faithfully, THOS. WM. MAGRATH. |
