FOURTH JOURNEY 



CHAPTER I 



**Nunc hue, nunc illuc et utrinque sine ordin© curro." 



Courteous reader, when I bade thee last fare- 

 well, I thought these Wanderings were brought 

 to a final close; afterwards I often roved in 

 imagination through distant countries famous 

 for natural history, but felt no strong inclination 

 to go thither, as the last adventure had terminated 

 in such unexpected vexation. The departure of 

 the Cuckoo and Swallow, and summer birds of 

 passage, for warmer regions, once so interesting 

 to me, now scarcely caused me to turn my face to 

 the south ; and I continued in this cold and dreary 

 climate for three years. During this period, I 

 seldom or ever mounted my hobby-horse; indeed 

 it may be said, with the old song — 



* * The saddle and bridle were laid on the shelf, ' * 



and only taken down once, on the night that I was 

 induced to give a lecture in the philosophical hall 

 of Leeds, A little after this, Wilson's Ornithology 

 of the United States fell into my hands. 



The desire I had of seeing that country, to- 

 gether with the animated description which Wil- 

 son had given of the birds, fanned up the almost 



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