V^OL. X. 



The Oologist. 



ALBION, N. Y.,AU(;.. 1893. 



NO. y 



SCENES PROM THE LIFE OF ALEXANDER 

 WILSON. 



Juurney to the Falls of Niagara- 



G. Vrooman Saiith. 



In the month of October, 1S04, Wil- 

 son acc'onipauied bj" two couipauious, 

 Duncan and Leech, set out on foot to 

 visit the Falls of Niagara. The journey 

 there and back was performed in fifty- 

 nine days at a late season of the year 

 and through almost an uninhabited 

 country. On his return he published 

 in the form of a poem, entitled "The 

 Foresters," an account of his remark- 

 able journey. "The Foresters" com- 

 menced in the Julj', 1809, number of 

 The Portfolio, a mouthlj' magazine pult- 

 lished at Philadelphia and continued 

 througii nine numbers. The i)oem 

 possessed consideralile merit, though 

 strongly marked with the prevailing 

 faults of his poetical style. 



It was Indian Summer when Wilson 

 and his two companions standing on 

 the green banks of Schuylkill's winding 

 Hood bade tlieir parting friends adieu 

 for a tour through the northern forests, 

 as the region lying between Phihidel- 

 phia and Niagara was then called. 

 They took their way northward through 

 the old village of Germantown wiiere 

 but a few years previous the roar of the 

 cannon signalized the strife for Ameri- 

 can independence. The second day's 

 journey lay through the fertile county 

 of liucks, where the pious Quaker learls 

 a life of thriftness and economy. The 

 barren, sterile heights of Northampton 

 county with the German's all-conquer- 

 ine industry, next came under the for- 

 •€sters' notice Passing tiie town of 

 Eastou they [jursue their course over 



bare mountains till the high toweling 

 l)eaks of Blue Mountain appear in front, 

 and wMiose steeps each traveller ascends. 

 From the summit a vast extent of 

 country lay in range of the vision, and 

 that atmospheric deception so com- 

 monly seen in this region was equally' 

 deceptive to Wilson. He says "the 

 effect of this d'ecei)tion was really as- 

 tonishing. Nothing could be more evi- 

 dent to the eye — the shores, the waters, 

 studded with numerous islands seemed 

 to disappear as if by enchantment." 

 While descending the rough mountain 

 side a solitary hawk was seen sailing 

 serene and eyeing the expanse below. 

 Fluttering in its own blood at Wil«on's 

 feet, whose shot had brought it down, 

 Duncan remaked 



Thus falls many a son of pride 

 While buoy'd in thought o'er all the world 

 wide. 



On their way they perchance stray 

 into a country school. The account of 

 the schoolmaster dictated by Wil-son's 

 own experience is written with great 

 truth and energy. They spent that 

 night at a humble settler's hut far in 

 the forest. The liost spread before 

 them the l)esl his nieagrestore afforded, 

 and made the evening pass (piiekly and 

 plea.santly i)y relating his hunting and 

 trapping adventin-es among the moun- 

 tains. Before the suti arose over the 

 eastern hills we again lind our travel- 

 ers shouldering their knai)saeks and 

 trudging along, now beside a noi.sy 

 creek, now ascending a steep incline or 

 pursuing their way through deei)ening 

 swamps where large pines and hem- 

 locks exclude the light of day. Near 

 the clo.se of the afternoon they were 

 passing thinugh an oak grove, when a 

 i)lack bear, so common in these moun- 

 tains, was startled from his feast among 



