xlvi LIFE OF WILSON. 



sited every house within three hundred yards of the road, and 

 chatted to the copper-coloured tribe. In the evening we lodged 

 at Lard's tavern, within eleven miles of Utica, the roads de- 

 plorably bad, and Isaac and his disconsolate companion groan- 

 ing at every step behind me, so that, as drummers do in battle, 

 I was frequently obliged to keep before, and sing some lively 

 ditty, to drown the sound of their ohs ! and ahs ! and Lords ! 

 The road for fifteen or twenty miles was knee deep of mud. 

 We entered Utica at nine the next .morning. This place is 

 three times larger than it was four years ago; and from Oneida 

 to Utica is almost an entire continued village. This evening 

 we lodged on the east side of the Mohawk, fifteen miles below 

 Utica, near which I shot a bird of the size of a Mocking-bird, 

 which proves to be one never yet described by naturalists. I 

 have it here in excellent order. From the town called Her- 

 kimer we set off through deep mud, and some snow; and about 

 mid-day, between East and West Canada Creeks, I shot three 

 birds of the Jay kind, all of one species, which appears to be un- 

 described. Mr. Bartram is greatly pleased at the discovery; 

 and I have saved two of them in tolerable condition. Below 

 the Little Falls the road was excessively bad, and Isaac was al- 

 most in despair, in spite of all I could do to encourage him. We 

 walked this day twenty-four miles; and early on the 25th start- 

 ed off again through deep mud, till we came within fifteen 

 miles of Schenectady, when a boat coming down the river, 

 Isaac expressed a wish to get on board. I walked six miles 

 afterwards by myself, till it got so dark that I could hardly 

 rescue myself from the mud holes. The next morning I en- 

 tered Schenectady, but Isaac did not arrive, in the boat, till 

 noon. Here we took the stage-coach for Albany, the roads 

 being excessively bad, and arrived there in the evening. Af- 

 ter spending two days in Albany, we departed in a sloop, and 

 reached New York on Saturday, at noon, the first of Decem- 

 ber. My boots were now reduced to legs and upper leathers; 

 and my pantaloons in a sad plight. Twelve dollars were ex- 

 pended on these two articles. 



