82 THH SWAMl'S Ul-' TUK MISSISSIPPI. 



bobbing his head, was often the cause of prolonging his life. We very fre- 

 quently opened into lagoons of considerable extent, and on my first entrance 

 into one, I was deceived by what I imagined to be a black and fiat bank, of 

 about an acre in extent ; this, to my confusion, on a nearer approach, was 

 converted into a counties host of Pooldeans, (a species of Coot, Fulica atra,) 

 so closely crowded together, that I was often surprised afterwards that they 

 could find sufficient room to swim ; as they permitted me to approach within 

 fifteen yards of them, you can scarcely doubt there Avere some deaths and a 

 few cripples in the collection. These birds are passed by with perfect 

 indifference as long as the Ducks continue plentiful; and during a haze the 

 canoe can nearly be paddled on to the top of them, which I partly did, and 

 as I cannot show you what I killed by shooting both barrels into such a 

 mass, I may mention that one of the men with whom I afterwards associated 

 informed me that he killed 153 by a right and left, which I do not for one 

 moment question. 



The appearance of these birds taking wing is very picturesque ; in place of 

 raising themselves into the air, they keep tripping and spattering along the 

 surface, supported by the flapping of their wings ; and this temporary com- 

 motion produced within a still lagoon is frequently very refreshing. I think 

 that, without fear of contradiction, I may set down the Cinereous Coot as 

 being infinitely the most numerous of any species to be found in the 

 swamps. We continued through a long succession of creeks and lagoons, 

 well stocked with Ducks and Pooldeans, at which I kept loading and shooting 

 till the sun went down beyond the prairie; and, just as he plumped out of 

 sight, a common practice with him in tropical countries, we reached lake 

 Cataahoola, a 'distance of fully thirty miles from the river. Our landing was 

 a very sticky one; for, in place of getting close to the shincer, we had to get 

 out and wade up to the knees, through mud and decayed vegetation, and 

 carry our cargo, consisting of guns, Ducks, a quantity of rice, blankets, 

 several bags of shot, and two jars of claret, besides other articles which some 

 of the men had ordei-ed. On getting to the bank, I discovered that it con- 

 sisted principally of shells, which had been thrown down above the decayed 

 reeds and prairie cane, by the Choctaw Indians, who, I was afterwards in- 

 formed, had carried them there for the purpose of forming mounds, not only 

 as places of sepulture, but also as a temple for the adoration of the Great 

 Spirit. I very shortly afterwards gathered my blankets about me, and lay 

 down on the shells, where I slept as soundly as ever my grandmother did on 

 a bed of down. 



The following morning, very early, I found that I had got into a new circle 

 of friends, who were rising out of their lairs all around me ; several of them 

 were rather better sheltered than I was ; there were three Americans, two 

 Frenchmen one Mexican, a Swede, three niggers, (runaways, I suppose,) 

 with all of whom 1 became immediately acquainted. The history of these 



