i88 LETTERS TO MARCO xxvm 



much astonished, the more so as the river 

 was in partial flood at the time, by the good 

 progress she made. When the other bank 

 was reached, my neighbour's cows refused 

 to let her land, so she floundered along by 

 the edge of the river, and finally went up 

 through the bridge and landed on the tow- 

 path above it. 



The sight of this cow's swimming helped 

 me to the better understanding of one of 

 Bewick's little vignettes. If you turn to your 

 second volume of The British Birds, p. 173, 

 and look at the tailpiece to the chapter on 

 the little auk, you will find the one to which 

 I refer. It represents a niggardly man 

 crossing a river with his cow, which he holds 

 by the tail ; he is using the ford to escape 

 the payment of the toll of the bridge, which 

 is seen behind ; there is a waggon crossing 

 and a man on horseback stopping to pay at 

 the little toll-house. The stingy man has 

 already lost his hat ; and his nose, small as 

 the cut is, looks nipt and cold ; whilst, to 



