40 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



surprised when I saw a fat mulatto woman walking 

 along the street with a pipe in her mouth, or a lady 

 handsomely dressed, and in the newest fashion, but 

 without stockings ; just as little did I marvel to see a 

 well-dressed gentleman, in a black frockcoat, and black 

 trousers, gold watch, chain, &c., going to market with 

 a basket under his arm ; and I hardly looked round if I 

 saw a New Englander riding from market, in bad 

 weather, at full gallop, with very short stirrups, if 

 basket of vegetables hanging to his left arm, while his 

 right hand grasped an outspread umbrella. In fact, a 

 man may accustom himself to any thing. 



I now resolved on making a shooting excursion, and 

 as Zellner had described the banks of the Hudson as so 

 very beautiful, we started one fine morning with our 

 guns, by one of the numerous steamers, and ran up, to 

 our shooting grounds, a distance of twenty-two miles, 

 for ^sixpence. The voyage alone was worth ten times 

 the money, on account of the beauty of the scenery. 

 The Hudson is certainly the loveliest river I ever saw, 

 with its smooth majestic stream, its high steep cliffs, 

 clothed with the brightest green, with dwelling-houses 

 and villages wherever space will allow, and thousands 

 of vessels of all descriptions giving such life to the whole, 

 as fills one Avith wonder and delight. As we started 

 late, it was dark when we arrived at our landing-place. 

 We were up at daybreak next morning, and set off to 

 search the woods and fields, eager to spill blood. Weary 

 and exhausted with climbing over the number of fences 

 and hedges, leaping over fallen or half-decayed trees, 

 Avading through morasses and mounting hills, we ar- 

 rived in the evenin": at the house of a cousin of Zell- 



