SHOOTING EXCURSION NEAR NEW YORK. 41 



ner's without having seen a feather or any thing else in 

 tlie shape of game. Our host received us hospitably, 

 told us that we did not understand how to find game 

 in America, and promised he would accompany us on 

 the morrow. Our hopes revived again ; we were ready 

 by break of day, inhaling the sweet morning air and 

 determined upon slaughter, and doubting whether our 

 game bags would hold all that we meant to kill. It 

 was yesterday's fortune repeated. Here we skirted 

 a wood, there a fence, here we waded a marsh, and there 

 pushed through a thicket ; from daybreak to noon, not 

 a shot had been fired. By the time we arrived on the 

 banks of the river, and saw a steamer running down 

 stream, Z. and I had had enough of it, and were re- 

 joiced to see the steamer answer our signals and stop to 

 take us on board. Hungry and tired, without having 

 seen a single head of American game, we returned to 

 New York. After this excursion, I was in no hurry 

 to try another. I had had enough for once, and at- 

 tended assiduously to my business; taking pains at 

 the same time to learn English, for although I had 

 made some progi-ess in Germany, it sounded like so 

 much Chaldaic or Chinese, till my ear became ac- 

 customed to it; then the foundation that I had for- 

 merly laid helped me to acquire it quickly. 



I remained some weeks longer in the town, otherwise 

 I must have intrusted all that I possessed to the in- 

 tegrity of strangers, and an inward misgiving warned 

 me against so doing. At the same time, I began to 

 reflect that I was fast bound in the town, and could not 

 get out into the open country ; and this feeling became 

 every day more painful and vexatious. It struck me 

 4* 



