160 OCEAN TO OCEAN ON HORSEBACK, 



the picture. Unfortunately the " spirited " part of the 

 scene was out of range. 



This delay for vanity's sake prevented us from 

 getting farther than Weedsport by noon, where a 

 brief halt was made for dinner. I was met here by 

 W. H. Ransom and the proprietor of the Howard 

 House of Port Byron, who came over to Weedsport 

 and escorted me to their village, where I had tea and 

 was very courteously entertained for a few hours. On 

 leaving Port Byron, these gentlemen rode forward 

 with me towards Montezuma Swamp, which lies 

 between the two towns. Here we parted company, 

 there being no reason why tiiey should ^' run tiie 

 gauntlet" with me. I had heard womlerful tales of the 

 dreaded monsters of this swamp, who were reputed to 

 be the very worst mosquitoes on record, not excepting 

 their famous kinsmen of the Hackensack Flats, New 

 Jersey. 



Unable to bear patiently the torture of my assail- 

 ants who were swarming around me by thousands, I 

 put spurs to Paul^ and went through at a gallop; but 

 notwithstanding this attempt to put the enemy to rout, 

 superior numbers gave them the advantage and their 

 victim came out covered with scars. 



When Montezuma was reached we were glad to rest, 

 for our late adventure had quite exhausted both horse 

 and rider. 



QltoeutD-niutl] JDag. 



Newark House, 



Newark, New York, 



June Sixth. 



The journey along the line of the New York Central 



