AN AMERICAN ANECDOTE. 11 



following particulars relative to the history of the great 

 American eagle : 



" I descended the Mississippi some three years ago," he 

 said, " in the month of November, in a small, light boat, 

 rowed by a couple of negroes, for the purpose of visiting 

 Memphis. As it was the beginning of winter, the entire 

 surface of the majestic river was covered with battalions 

 of aquatic birds, which had abandoned the northern seas 



" A SMALL, LIGHT BOAT, ROWED BY A COUPLE OF NEGROES." 



and the great frozen lakes to seek a less rigorous refuge 

 in the temperate climates of our Southern States. Sud- 

 denly one of the boatmen pointed out with his finger a 

 gigantic eagle, which, perched on the loftiest branch of 

 an old oak, with keen eye surveyed the rolling tide, and 

 listened intently to every distant sound. A moment 

 afterwards the other boatman directed my attention to 

 the opposite bank, where, perched at an equal height to 



