186 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 



From New Orleans, down the Mississippi, 

 through its south-west pass, he proceeded, and 

 arrived in April, (1837,) at the Mexican Gulf, 

 pausing now and then for the purpose of explor- 

 ing the islands dotting its inlets. 



In these excursions often he wandered through 

 muddy swamps for whole days, exposed in ad- 

 dition to the terrible ordeal of a scorching sun, 

 rendered still more unendurable by the swarms 

 of insects which prevailed. At a later date, 

 during several cross journey in gs over the coun- 

 try, he was compelled to wade through unculti- 

 vated wastes, by tracks more resembling quag- 

 mires than roads ; plodding thus daily, supported 

 only by whatever chance provision the barbarity 

 of the land might afford. 



At night the arduous enterprise was ex- 

 changed, not for the refreshment of downy bed 

 and pillows, but the miserable shelter, perhaps, 

 of a cart, in which, lying cramped, he was slowly 

 jolted onwards till dawn, when his researches 

 were again renewed ! Though not a single dis- 

 covery resulted from his toilsome wanderings 

 at this period, they proved, nevertheless, profit- 

 able, as well as interesting, since he thus obtained 

 not only a more accurate knowledge of the 

 migratory movements of several species, already 

 known to him, but understood more distinctly 

 their geographical distribution. 



