THE OSPREY. 



An Illustrated Magazine of Popular Ornithology. 



Published Monthly. 



Vouime \ - . 



JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, iooi 



Ni u BEK 3. 



Original Articles. 



A TRIP To THE DISMAL SWAMP. 

 Bv P.ui. BarTSCH, Washing-ton, D. C. 



In the middle 'if June, 1897, a party of live, of 

 which I was a member, paid a visit to the (iiv.it 

 Dismal Swamp of Virginia. We camped in the 

 hotel at the mouth of Jericho Ditch, "ii the edge 

 of beautiful Lake Drummond, and spent a \ 

 full of enjoyment and profit in this little fre- 

 quented home of solitude. 



The pleasant memories and perhaps the di 

 tn add a specimen of ih.it rare Warbler, Hclinaia 

 swainsonii And., which inhabits this region, to 

 my collection, prompted a second pilgrimagi 

 to the shores ol the dusky lake ami it is of this 

 -> cond trip that I wish to speak. 



On the eve. if the 2.1 of June, 1899, Mr. William 

 Palmer, thief Taxidermist. I". S. National Mu- 

 seum, and myself embarked on the Washington 

 and X. nil ilk Steamer Norfolk, and arrived at the 

 city of tin- same name the following morning. 

 Our steamer was somewhat late, and failing to 

 niak.- connections, we were obliged to take a 

 somewhat later train for Suit. .Ik than we 

 had intended; however, we finally reached this 

 place where our supplies fur a week's trip were 

 tn be purchased. 



I wisli I might devote a chapter t.i Suffolk 

 and describe the effect this little city produces 

 upon a man from the energetic north or 

 west, but I fear this would require more space 

 than is allotted to the entire sketch hence, suf- 

 fice it to say that here the automoblile has as 

 yet not superseded the oxcart; nor the desire for 

 wealth, ami tin- power of the almighty dollar 

 closed tlie hospitable doors of its inhabitants to 

 the stranger, nor diminished the native's love of 

 leisure. Quaint historic Suffolk! even you, like 

 your gloomy neighbor, have charms all your 

 own. and your memory invite-- again and again 

 "i and longer acquaintance. 



We supplied our commissary department with 

 everything that experienced hands deem m i 

 sary for such a trip as the one we were about to 

 undertake, ami .li.l this to -ni admirable degree, 

 forgetting only that most needed article, the 

 sta ll of 1 1 fe • i.r bread. 



After a drive ..f some two miles through a 

 country devoted largely to truck gardening, we 

 bed Jericho Ditch, one of the three possible 

 entrances to the swamp, ami by two ..'clock p. 

 m. we were ready to push off, down the canal. 

 f..r the lake ten miles (.. the southeast. 



Profiting by our former experience, we had 

 this time chosen the little Hat bottomed, double- 

 bowed boat in preference o the clumsy, heavy, 

 water-soaked, hollov ed-outlog - , ordinarily termed 

 "dugout," which caused us no end of trouble in 

 '"7. due, ti" doubt, in a large measure to a lack 

 ..f training on the part of the . .ccupants. What- 

 ever tin' craft, there are but two ways to propel 



THE START. 



it: one h\ means of the paddle, the other by 

 each method requiring some experience. 

 The ditch is not wi.le enough to permit the use 

 of oars, and the way is frequently obstructed by 

 sphagnum ami other aquatic vegetation. But 

 withal, the ditch is a dream of a place, and I 

 long to be there again! Now that the memory 

 of hardship and toil have faded in part, or at 

 least, have moved into the background, the 

 pleasure of its beauty stands out all the more 

 charming and vivid, and I can imagine myself 



