334 AUDUBON 



with tall grasses, and resembling the prairies of the wes- 

 tern wilds, opened to our view. Wherever the country 

 happened to be sunk a little beneath the general level, it 

 was covered with cypress trees, whose spreading arms 

 were hung with a profusion of Spanish moss. The soil 

 in such cases consisted of black mud, and was densely 

 covered with bushes, chiefly of the Magnolia family. 



We crossed in succession the heads of three branches 

 of Haw Creek, of which the waters spread from a quarter 

 to half a mile in breadth, and through which we made 

 our way with extreme difficulty. While in the middle of 

 one, my companion told me that once, when in the very 

 spot where we then stood, his horse chanced to place his 

 fore-feet on the back of a large alligator, which, not well 

 pleased at being disturbed in his repose, suddenly raised 

 his head, opened his monstrous jaws, and snapped off part 

 of the lips of the affrighted pony. You may imagine 

 the terror of the poor beast, which, however, after a few 

 plunges, resumed its course, and succeeded in carrying 

 its rider through in safety. As a reward for this achieve- 

 ment, it was ever after honored with the appellation of 

 "Alligator." 



We had now travelled about twenty miles, and, the sun 

 having reached the zenith, we dismounted to partake of 

 some refreshment. From a muddy pool we contrived to 

 obtain enough of tolerably clear water to mix with the 

 contents of a bottle, the like of which I would strongly 

 recommend to every traveller in these swampy regions; 

 our horses, too, found something to grind among the herb- 

 age that surrounded the little pool; but as little time was 

 to be lost, we quickly remounted, and resumed our dis- 

 agreeable journey, during which we had at no time pro- 

 ceeded at a rate exceeding two miles and a half in the 

 hour. 



All at once, however, a wonderful change took place: 

 — the country became more elevated and undulating ; the 



