^4 



THE SWAMPS OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 



within the lagoon. I supposed they would turn round, and present their 

 heads before sinking themselves ; in this I was disappointed, for they hacked 

 into it, and immediately disappeared. I was defeated repeatedly in this 

 way, in my attempts to bag the game ; but I afterwards ran my canoe close 

 np to them, and seldom failed to burst their heads before they could eftect 

 their escape : the average length of such as these was from seven to nine feet. 

 Some smaller ones, which I afterwards killed, 1 turned belly uppermost, to 

 make them more attractive to the Black Vultures ( Vidtur atratus) and Tur- 

 key Buzzards, which were frequent in their attendance. 



There is no other way of killing Ducks within the lagoons, than from a 

 canoe, and much care is required in shooting from it ; for by doing so cross- 

 ways, (as I explained before,) it will upset in a second, and many guns and 

 lives have been lost in this manner. They only contain a single individual ; 

 (I refer entirely to the canoes within the swamps ;) and if one should tip 

 over, in an open lagoon with a mud bottom, the chances are, the boatman 

 might share a similar fate with the prophet, with no hope of being vomited 

 up again. The distances at Avhich the men are frequently from each other, 

 prevent the possibility of their ever being heard ; and as for being seen, that 

 is out of the question, for the tall rushes and cane-brake by which they are 

 constantly surrounded reijder this impossible. It occasionally proved rather 

 a " coggly business for me, but I always saved my distance by about half a 

 nose." 



On my arrival at the Shells, I found that several of the men had i-eturned 

 with their canoes well loaded with Ducks and Coots ; with which they had 

 cooked up a very greasy mess, better suited to the taste of an Esquimaux than 

 of a Scotchman ; this however, with some boiled rice, was very acceptable. 

 Amongst the variety which I had killed, I found the following species : the 

 Ruddy Duck!! {Anas rutilans,) the Canvass-back, {Anas valisineria,) the 

 Shoveller, {Anas clypeata,) the Mallard, {Anas Boschas.) the Buffel-head, {Anas 

 alheola,) the Prairie Hawk, and the Cinereous Coot. {Fulica atra.) Many 

 successive days were passed in the same manner, during which I shot two 

 other species ; the Green-winged Teal, {Anas crecca,) and, if I mistake not, 

 the Pintail. {Anas glacialis.) While laying quietly concealed in my canoe, 

 amongst the tall reeds, I have been much delighted with the near approach 

 and the inquiring " peep " of the Water Rail, {Rallus Virginianus,) and the 

 wonderful activity displaj'ed by the Marsh Wren, {Certhiapalustris,) and other 

 Creepers trJiich I cannot name, (I question if they have ever been named at 

 all,) hunting insects up and down the long slippery canes all aroiind me. 



In shooting from a blind, the person is quite concealed ; and it is only 

 after liaviug shot a number of Ducks that he unfastens his canoe, and picks 

 them up from off the lagoon, where they are floating around him. He is 

 occasionally disa])pointed in bagging the whole, for the Alligators now and 

 Ihen nab a few. I lost several Ducks without knowing how; but this was 



