410 Letter from Audubon. 



shivering party. We wrapped the negroes in their blankets — 

 boiled some water, and soon had some tea — made them swallow 

 it, and with care revived them into animation. May God preserve 

 you from being ever in the condition of our party at this junc- 

 ture ; scarcely a man able to stand, and the cold wind blowing 

 as keenly as ever. Our men, however, gradually revived — the 

 trees, one after another, fell under the hatchet, and increased our 

 fire — and in two hours I had the pleasure to see cheerful faces 

 again. We all got warm again, and tolerably gay, although the 

 prospect was far from being pleasant : no road to go home, or to 

 any habitation ; confined in a large salt marsh, with rushes head 

 high, and miry ; no provisions left, and fifteen miles from the 

 house of our host. 



Not a moment was to be lost ; for I foresaw that the next night 

 would prove much colder still. The boat was manned once more, 

 and oflT through the mud we moved, to double the point, and 

 enter the creek, of which I have spoken, with a hope, that in it 

 we should find water enough to float her. It did happen so, 

 thank God ! and as we once more saw our barque afloat, our 

 spirits rose — and rose to such a pitch, that we in fun set fire to 

 the whole marsh : crack, crack, crack ! went the reeds, with a 

 rapid blaze. We saw the marsh rabbits, &c. scampering from 

 the fire by thousands, as we pulled our oars. 



Our pleasure at being afloat did not last long. The north- 

 easter had well nigh emptied the creek of all its usual quantjiim 

 of water ; and to wade and push our boat over many a shallow, 

 was again our resort, with intent to make a landing, from whence 

 we could gain the sea beach. 



We did effect a landing at last. The boat was abandoned — 

 the game fastened to the backs of the negroes — the guns re- 

 loaded, and on we proceeded through the marsh first, then 

 through the tangled palmitoes and scrubby sturdy live oaks, 

 until we reached the sea beach. 



The sea beach of East Florida — have you ever seen it ? If 

 you have not, I advise you strongly never to pay a visit to it, 

 under the circumstances that brought me and my companions 

 to it yesterday morning. We saw the ocean spread broad before 

 our eyes, but it looked angry and ruftly, strewed with high, agi- 

 tated waves, that came in quick succession towards the desolate, 

 naked shore: not an object in view but the pure sky and the agi- 



