418 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



inclining towards the north-west, and intersecting that known 

 by the name of False River, at a short distance from the 

 place where the latter receives the waters of the Mississippi. 

 This tedious account of the situation of the Swamp, is given 

 with the view of pointing it out to all students of nature who 

 may chance to go that way, and whom I would earnestly 

 urge to visit its interior, as it abounds in rare and interesting 

 productions : birds, quadrupeds and reptiles, as well as mol- 

 luscous animals, many of which, I am persuaded, have never 

 been described. 



In the course of one of my rambles, I chanced to meet 

 with a squatter's cabin on the banks of the Cold Water 

 River. In the owner of this hut, like most of those adven- 

 turous settlers in the uncultivated tracts of our frontier 

 districts, I found a person well versed in the chase, and 

 acquainted with the habits of some of the larger species of 

 quadrupeds and birds. As he who is desirous of instruction 

 ought not to disdain listening to any one, who has knowledge 

 to communicate, however humble may be his lot, or however 

 limited his talents, I entered the squatter's cabin, and imme- 

 diately opened a conversation with him respecting the situation 

 of the swamp, and its natural productions. He told me he 

 thought it the very place I ought to visit, spoke of the game 

 which it contained, and pointed to some bear and deer skins, 

 adding, that the individuals to which they had belonged, 

 formed but a small portion of the number of those animals 

 which he had shot within it. My heart swelled with delight ; 

 and on asking if he would accompany me through the great 

 morass, and allow me to become an inmate of his humble but 

 hospitable mansion, I was gratified to find that he cordially 

 assented to all my proposals. So I immediately unstrapped 

 my drawing materials, laid up my gun, and sat down to 

 partake of the homely but wholesome fare intended for the 

 supper of the squatter, his wife, and his two sons. 



The quietness of the evening seemed in perfect accordance 



