Penfy&wnia, Philadelphia. 227 



THIS good luck no body is likely to have at 

 prefent, as you are forced to ramble about for a 

 whole day, without getting a fight of more than 

 three or four. Cranes* at that time came hi- 

 ther by hundreds in the fpring : at prefent there 

 are but very few. The wild Turkeys, and the 

 birds, which the Swedes in this country call Par- 

 tridges and Hazel-hens, were in whole flocks in 

 the woods. But at this time a perfon is tired 

 with walking before he can ftart a fingle bird. 



THE caufe of this diminution is not difficult to 

 find. Before the arrival of the Europeans, the 

 country was uncultivated, and full of great fo- 

 refts. The few Indians that lived here feldom 

 difturbed the birds. They carried on no trade 

 among themfelves, iron and gunpowder were un- 

 known to them. One hundredth part of the 

 fowl, which at that time were f j plentiful here, 

 would have fufficed to feed the few inhabitants ; 

 and confidering that they cultivated their frnall 

 maize fields, caught fifh, hunted (lags, beavers, 

 bears, wild cattle, and other animals whofe flefh 

 was delicious to them, it will foon appear how 

 little they difturbed the birds. But fince the ar- 

 rival of great crouds of Europeans, things are 

 greatly changed : the country is well peopled, 

 and the woods are cut down : the people in- 

 creafing in this country, they have by hunting 

 and fhooting in part extirpated the birds, in part 

 feared them away : in fpring the people ft ill 



* WHEN Captain Amadat^ the firft Englifornan that ever landed 

 in North America l fet foot on ihore (to ufe his own words) /#o> a 

 focke of Cranes (the mofl part ivhitt) arcfs under us with fuck a cry, 

 rt daub ltd by many tchogs, at if an armie of men bad fronted altogether* 



take 



