290 'November 1^^%,. 



iingle bird upon them ; about fixty or fe- 

 venty years ago, a fingle perfon could kill 

 eighty ducks in a morning ; but at prefent 

 you frequently wait in vain for a iingle 

 one. A Swede above ninety years old, 

 afTured me that he had in his youth killed 

 twenty-three ducks at a fhot. This good 

 luck no body is likely to have at prefent, 

 as you are forced to ramble about for a 

 whole day, without getting a fight of more 

 than three or four. Cranes * at that time 

 came hither by hundreds in the fpring : at 

 prefent there are but very few. The W/^ 

 Turkeys, and the birds which the Swedes 

 in this country call Partridges and Hazel- 

 hens were in whole flocks in the woods. 

 But at this time a perfon is tired with 

 walking before he can ftart a fingle bird. 



The caufe of this diminution is not dif- 

 ficult to find. Before the arrival of the 

 Europeans, the country was uncultivated, 

 and full of great forells. The few Indians 

 that lived here feldom diflurbed the birds. 

 They carried on no trade among themfelves, 

 iron and gun powder were unknown to 



them. 



• When Captain Amadas, the firft Ehglijhman that ever 

 landed in North America, fet foot on Ihore (to ufe his own 

 words) fuch aflocke of Cranes (the moji part •white) arofe under 

 us ivith/uch a cry, redoubled by manj echoes, as if an armie of 

 men had Routed altogether . 



