GREAT PINE SWAMP. 49 



We winded round many a mountain, and at last crossed 

 the highest. The weather had became tremendous, and 

 we were thoroughly drenched, but my resolution being 

 fixed, the boy was obliged to continue his driving. 

 Having already traveled about fifteen miles or so, we 

 left the turnpike, and struck up a narrow and bad road, 

 that seemed merely cut out to enable the people of the 

 Swamp to receive the necessary supplies from the vil- 

 lage which I had left. Some mistakes were made, and 

 .and it was almost dark, when a post directed us to the 

 habitation of a Mr. Jediah Irish, to whom I had been 

 recommended. We now rattled down a steep declivity, 

 edged on one side by almost perpendicular- rocks, and 

 on the other, by a noisy stream, which seemed grum- 

 bling at the approach of strangers. The ground was so 

 overgrown by laurels, and tall pines of different kinds, 

 that the whole presented only a mass of darkness. 



At length we got to the house, the door of which was 

 already opened, the sight of strangers being nothing un- 

 common in our woods, even in the most remote parts. 

 On entering, I was presented with a chair, while my 

 conductor was shown the way to the stable, and on ex- 

 pressing a wish that I should be permitted to remain in 

 the house for some weeks, I was gratified by receiving 

 the sanction of the good woman to my proposal, although 

 her husband was then from home. As I immediately 

 fell a-talking about the nature of the country, and in- 

 quired if the birds were numerous in . the neighborhood, 

 Mrs. Irish, more au fait to household affairs than orni- 

 thology, sent for a nephew of her husband's, who soon 

 made his appearance, and in whose favor I became at 

 4 



