l^he Great Fine Swamp, 189 



mines, and eighty-eight miles distant from Philadelphia. 

 I had passed through a diversified country, part of which 

 was highly cultivated, while the rest was yet in a state of 

 nature, and consequently much more agreeable to me. 

 On alighting I was shown to the travellers' room, and on 

 asking for the landlord, saw coming towards me a fine- 

 looldng young man, to whom I made known my wishes. 

 He spoke kindly, and offered to lodge and board me at a 

 much lower rate than travellers who go there for the very 

 simple pleasure of being dragged on the railway. In a 

 word, I was fixed in four minutes, and that most comfort- 

 ably. 



" No sooner had the approach of day been announced 

 by the cocks of the little village, than I marched out 

 with my gun and note-book, to judge for myself of the 

 v/ealth of the country. After traversing much ground, 

 and crossing many steep hills, I returned, if not wearied, 

 at least much disappointed at the extraordinary scarcity of 

 birds. So I bargained to be carried in a cart to the cen- 

 tral parts of the Great Pine Swamp j and although a heav}' 

 storm was rising, ordered my conductor to proceed. The 

 weather had become tremendous, and we were thorough- 

 ly drenched. We wound round many a mountain, and at 

 last crossed the highest. But my resolution being fixed, 

 the boy was obliged to continue his driving. Having al- 

 ready travelled fifteen miles or so, we left the turnpike 

 and struck up a narrow and bad road, that seemed mere- 

 ly cut out to enable the people of the swamp to receive the 

 necessary supplies from the village which I had left. 

 Some mistakes were made, and it was almost dark when 

 a post directed us to the habitation of a Mr. Jedediah 

 Irish, to whom I had been recommended. We now 

 rattled down a steep declivity, edged on one side by al- 

 most perpendicular rocks, and on the other by a noisy 

 stream, which seemed grumbling at the approach of 



