TRAVELLING IN A CIRCLE. 177 



is situated a large swamp, called by the inhabitants of that 

 region " The Great Cedar Swamp." It is eight or ten miles 

 long, and perhaps two or three wide. So boggy is the ground 

 and so impenetrable is the forest for man or beast, I doubt if 

 some parts of it have ever been explored. Neverthless it may 

 be looked upon as a godsend to the surrounding inhabitants ; 

 for they are almost exclusively hop-growers, and from this 

 swamp they get an abundant supply of cedar poles, which are 

 gathered in winter, when the ground is more or less frozen. 



The Chenango River flows through the whole length of 

 this swamp ; yet it is so deep and so sluggish, that the motion 

 of the water is scarcely perceptible, and so crooked, too, that 

 my boyish fancy used to picture a bird trying to fly across it 

 and invariably lighting on the same side from which it started. 



At the lower end of this swamp the river leaves the forest, 

 and, losing its mysterious air, breaks into a merry babble, as it 

 hurries away over the stones towards the Susquehanna. Here 

 an old fisherman used occasionally to leave his boat after one 

 of his fishing excursions up the river, and it was the delight 

 of the adventurous youths of the neighboring town to obtain 

 this boat, and penetrate as far as possible into the dark recesses 

 of that solitary swamp. 



It was one sunny Sunday when such an opportunity pre- 

 sented itself to me. Two fellows older than myself (one a 

 young man) proposed that we should make an excursion up 

 the river. This was readily agreed to, and we at once pos- 

 sessed ourselves of the boat. We were told, however, that 

 the owner intended to use his boat, and very likely would be 

 after us before we returned. Heedless of all warnings of this 

 kind, we pushed off, and were soon lost among the alders 

 along the stream. 



We paddled slowly on for half an hour, with nothing to 

 interrupt our tranquillity but the occasional splash of the musk- 

 rat, as he disappeared beneath the black water ; or as the spot- 

 ted turtle, startled at our approach, rolled from off his sunning- 

 place and also disappeared. 



We had almost concluded that we were destined to enjoy 

 an undisturbed possession of the boat, when we heard, far 

 12 



